A Chair is Still a Chair
by LostFlowerFrog
Summary: OC Bobi Gunn, Gunn's cousin, lost everything in the aftermath of the Senior Partners war. Forced to leave LA with Spike and Illyria in tow, Bobi starts over at William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio. WARNING: Strong language
1. Prologue

DISCLAIMER: Angel/Buffy type people belong to Joss Whedon, Bobi belongs to us. There is no owning of anything. Except for Bobi.

AN: HI! Thank you for clicking on the story. This is our first fan fiction ever. We encourage you to review. We are looking for feedback to improve our performance.

This story takes place post Not Fade Away. The timeline is altered so the events happening start in February.

* * *

**Prologue**

They were gone, my family, my crew. LA, my home, was being destroyed by demons.

I tried to find Anne but the riots had caused too much chaos, destruction. I did the only thing I could think of, the Hyperion.

That was the plan Gunn had laid down for us after Gio. When he stopped coming around.

"There's trouble, you can't find anyone- hell, even if you just wanna- go to the hotel. Call me and I'll come get you."

I called before I went searching for the hotel. I was lost in my own city. No one had answered. The phone lines were down. The city had shut down. We thought it was bad during the Blackout.

This was worse.

It wasn't just demons taking advantage, but humans. I mean stealing, drugs, murder, and rape that's day to day. I knew that. I understood that. With the whole of the demon world closing in on us humans, you would think we would bond together. Some did. Some learned enough to protect what they could. Stake to the heart. Cut off the head. Others fled the city accusing gangs/ethnics for another repeat of the 1992 LA Riots. Still more made deals or took advantage of the distraction.

"Gang violence has reached a pressure point here in LA" I passed another TV reporter. "Dead bodies litter the streets as the LA gangs fight over territory"

The TV crew should get out of the open before the 'gang violence' kills them.

I could hear the shouts a block away. Not knowing any better, I had wandered deeper into the center of the riots. Men, women, and girls were fighting the demons swarming the hotel. I don't know why but I joined the fray.

I forgot everything that had happened for a time. Blood and gore covered the posse; my family- hacked to pieces. All there was, was survival.

"How ya doing, duckie?" I whirled attacking still hyper aware of danger. "Whoa, Whoa! I'm on your side!"

I didn't see the hit coming. Suddenly, I was on my ass. A woman covered in blue and slime stood over me. "Be still, muck"

"You okay, Spike?" a one-eyed man called across the room.

"Yeah" Billy Idol rotated a shoulder. "Nice to see you lot decided to partake."

The man smiled, "Sounded like a party with the apocalypse and all."

"The Slayer hanging around?"

"Somewhere" the man frowned, "Commanding the troops"

Thunder rolled through. Lightening flashed-green? Fuck

"Not again" I breathed. Was the sun going to blot out again? I heaved myself to my feet searching the windowed doors. I was so tired. I couldn't keep this up.

"Looks like the tide's changing" the guy blotted at a cut. What?

"I smell witches" the blue woman sneered.

"People are dying." I turned back to the group, "Entire city blocks burning and the tide is changing?"

"Sir!" The one-eyed man turned towards girl who shouted. Shrieks and growls could be heard outside.

"They're closing in. You ready for more?"

"I could do a bit more damage" the blonde smiled a deadly smile. I hunted for another weapon. I had lost my last stake.

"You should find a safe place," The one-eyed man said to me after setting up the other girls to ring the lobby ready for the next wave.

I looked at him. "This was supposed to be the fucking safe place." There, under a green horned demon dressed like a Medieval Fair reject, shiny.

"Hey, I know you" Billy Idol stepped over, "relative of Gunn's or some such"

I nodded, "have you seen him?" I swiped a rag over the sword I had found.

"Lost sight awhile back" I handed over the rag. He wiped down his own blade.

The blue woman shimmered the slime gone. The blue remained. I started whipping the sword around. The girls changed focus. A different tension filled the room. Demon bad.

She cocked her head side to side. She didn't move any closer. "You raise a weapon against me?" She slid closer, "You could never hope to dominate me. I am the God-king. I am Illyria."

"I don't care if you are the Principal Potemkin of Hooterville. Get set. Don't kill us; we won't kill you."

"Calm down ducks" Spike stepped between the girls and the woman "We're the good guys"

"She's a demon," I growled

Illyria jerked toward me. She was right though. I could never hope to take her. I was tired and on edge. She wasn't even breathing hard.

But demons were destroying LA, my city and home. Killing everyone I ever knew, everyone I loved.

"Though I am not near my former strength," she threatened, "killing you would be a trifle"

"Lyri! We don't kill the nice humans, remember?"

"There are others on this planet"

"And how many are related to Gunn?" A small group of demons barged through the doors ending conversation.

I tried to slow my breathing. I bled from a few cuts on my arms and face. I wasn't seriously hurt but I would be lucky to last through the next wave. God, I was exhausted and ached. I shook my head. They were coming. No time to rest. Needed to concentrate. Needed to stay alive.

This night was the first real time I fought without the crew-by myself.

I was a girl. I was too young. We shared responsibility in the crew to keep everyone alive. I pulled guard duty and recon in teams of two. But I was alone now. I was by myself, no one to watch my back. I didn't think I would survive the night, the next hour, with all the demons running rampant. I learned a lot in those few hours as we tried to stay alive.

Those girls weren't normal. One was thrown across the room. Another dead body I thought but she jumped up and killed the demon who had thrown her. The crew never took on demons single-handedly. A nest of vampires required all of the crew to exterminate. These girls, slayers, made the fighting, surviving, effortless.

The blue woman was a god. She couldn't be broken. The hits she took made the slayers look weak and fragile.

Spike, a vampire, had a soul. He also loudly protested being compared to Angel, the other soul-ed vampire Gunn had worked with. Very different coloring.

I saw what it was to be a champion that night. I understood Gunn a little better. I had been hurt he had left. He had left us alone but he was part of something bigger. He didn't just protect the crew, our family, anymore but the city, the world.

* * *

There was a rushing in my ears. Dead. He was dead.

"Yeah, right" I scoffed "You're probably just assuming because there's so many missing and one less suspected gang member is no big deal." There was no way Gunn was dead.

But they wouldn't let it go.

"He's dead, Bobi" One brown eye shone with pity.

"I don't fucking believe you"

"Bobi" he started.

"Show me the body! No body means he could still be alive"

"Bobi" he sighed understandingly "I don't want this anymore than you"

"You don't even know me! And you don't know Gunn! He would have survived this. He has to…"I trailed off. I couldn't be alone. They were wrong. There was no-

"His body was found in the alley."

"Gunn was brave and noble" Illyria appeared "He had sustained numerous injures before we gathered to fight."

* * *

"He died a warrior's death" Illyria showed me the body. Draped in a sheet lying in the hotel's ballroom, he wasn't the only one there. White lumps lined the floor waiting for burial.

I threw up. He was pale. Gunn was never pale even when he got sick that one time. He'd had pneumonia. I had sat with him at the free clinic.

* * *

I sat outside on a balcony. It wasn't the safest place to be. Each time I shifted, I could hear rocks fall off. But it was the only place where no one would look for me. The balcony was attached to the room the Watcher's Council guy was using. The one place they would never look.

"The mini-watchers found these in the office" Papers shuffled.

"Wesley's will."

"Gunn's too. And Fred's" Spike added

"We'll get the Council lawyers on it"

"Heard a rumor" Spike started "Not going to stay and use the hotel?"

"We're still trying to set up in Cleveland. Giles won't leave the Mother country. Dawn is kicking ass at Oxford now. Faith and Robin are trying out New York. Haven't seen Willow in while but she was in Rio"

"Any word on the Slayer and the Poof?" asked Spike casually

Xander must have made a motion instead of answering aloud. The voices moved off. I shifted to see if they were still in the room. The door clicked leaving me alone. Just me and my thoughts. Forgotten.

I stood slowly. Time to get into a fight.

* * *

"Shouldn't eavesdrop, duckie"

"Intel" Without the crew there was nothing. I just fell into old habits. Wandering around, sitting still, and listening to what was said around me. I had to provide for myself. I was alone. I didn't know what else to do without- without them.

"Yeah? And what intel do you have?" he was humoring me.

I trusted Spike. He noticed me. He helped me. He was like a rowdy British white version of Gunn. "They can't find Angel and they're freaking out" I snorted. Their pain brought me pleasure. Ha ha Council seers, ha ha.

Spike raised an eyebrow curiously. "Not just the Council." I moved on "The National Guard and the Army guy, Xander threw out of here earlier."

"Captain Cardboard was here?"

"They're camped out near the rubble that was Wolfram and Hart."

"Anything else?"

"The slayer" I started slowly. I always heard him asking about her but I didn't want to hurt him. "Buffy, went back to Cleveland. The girls are saying there is more human violence now than demon. Xander is starting to send the girls back."

"Yeah, it's about time to move on."

No, I sucked in a breath. I would be completely alone in a city, which had become strange to me.

"Council pulling your chain?" I turned away.

"I'm William the Bloody, ducks" Spike scoffed "I go where I want"

"I heard the Slayer has you on a leash" I faced Spike again, eye to eye "Wrapped around her finger"

Spike turned hard, "She's a champion. More than any of these baby slayers put together." He stalked off.

Fine, be at the Council's beck and call see if I care.

* * *

"You grieve" Illyria had found me on the roof, a perfect view of the destructive wrath of the Senior Partners.

"This was my home. I belong here" There was nowhere else.

"It is no longer safe for humans to roam. Much like it was during my time."

"Yeah, yeah, muck at your feet"

"This shell was granted guardianship over your life" I looked at Illyria. I had overheard that from one of One-eye's secret meetings. "It is no longer safe for you here."

Oh, hells no. "I ain't leaving" I may not recognize LA anymore but I wasn't about to convert to the Council's religion.

"Your home is a broken shell of a place. It is no more. Staying is pointless. It is time you moved on."

"Oh, like you moved on." I turned on her "You found your kingdom in ruins."

"My kingdom was great and mighty compared to your realm. I was illustrious and awe inspiring, while your kind hit each other with rocks."

"The difference between our two 'realms' is that LA can be rebuilt. People are still here." I was still here.

I had been confined the hotel. Watching the Council go out in teams coming back covered in vampire dust, demon slime, and blood; I began to understand something. They asked nothing from the city. They showed up and started to retake LA for everyone else. We had to help those that couldn't help themselves. We had to shield those that didn't know what was going on. We had to protect them for the future. I could do that.

"Putting off the inevitable" Illyria cocked her head to the side listening to god-king knows what, "This shell still holds memories. Happiness and pride over scholastic achievements. Do you not wish the same?"

"No," I was too surprised not to answer. "What point is there to school? There is nothing then can teach me. All I need is the crew." Was the crew. Where was she going with this?

"I have been told there is more in this world than battle and defending one's territory"

"Only for those who hide their head in the sand."

"My pet is traveling to Cleveland to win favor with the Slayer" Illyria looked out over the setting sun.

"Fantastic" Of course, he is.

"A place is being made for you. We will return in 'a week.'" The time defining words sounded distasteful. "You have until then to say your goodbyes"

She was gone. The god-king had spoken. I was to fall in line. My mocha cream ass.

* * *

Spike appeared in the doorway. "Come on, duckie. Time to go."

"Yeah, I'm going to stay here"

"Sorry ducks, Big Wigs got plans."

"Plans for the 'normal girl'" I scoffed

"Yup, Lima, Ohio" he wouldn't look me in the eye.

"Ohio?" Really? "The Hellmouth?" I was going to be trained?

Spike shook his head, "Nope, better: no demons, no mayhem, new place, and a new school. Just what you need."

"So, the Council says jump and I hop along" I turn, pleading with him. "I need to stay here. I need to help out cleaning up."

"City's full of cops and slayers cleaning up the streets."

"I could help too" I spread my arms. I didn't want to be under the Council's thumb. I just wanted things back to normal.

"Help by packing"

"I'm not going to school with the baby slayers" I inform him.

"Do not concern yourself with the slayers" Illyria appeared in a corner, "they are selfish creatures"

"If I'm not concerning myself, what are we doing in Cleveland?"

"We're not going to be in Cleveland" Spike's face darkened.

"But you said Ohio?"

"LIMA, Ohio, bout three hours Southwest of Cleveland"

"Three hours?"

"Leash only stretches so far, cupcake" he smirked.


	2. The Beginning

DISCLAIMER: Angel/Buffy type people belong to Joss Whedon, Glee type people belong to Ryan Murphy and Co., and Bobi belongs to us. There is no owning of anything. Except for Bobi.

AN: Please Review

* * *

**The Beginning**

William McKinley was the 25th President. The last Civil War veteran to serve and assassinated by an anarchist. I would be attending the high school named after him.

"I'm in the middle of a field" If I could find it that is. "Spike, I'm in the middle of a fucking cornfield."

"We're in the middle of the sodding country, duckie, that's where the fields are. Bleeding breadbasket and all."

I slapped another bug away, "Ya see this wouldn't have happened if we were still in LA." Smack! Fucking bugs! "If we were in LA, I would have hopped on a bus which would have dropped me off right in front of the fucking school."

"Watch the language, ducks. We're going for civilized here."

"CORNFIELD, Spike, cornfield."

"What do you want me to say? Use the sodding GPS."

"That's how I got here IN THE FIRST PLACE, SPIKE." Really, really big bug.

"Okay, cupcake, calm down! Illyria is coming to get you."

"How long is that going to take?" I brushed a spider off my pants leg and slammed the car door.

"Muck, you turned off too soon."

"Gawd! Lyri!" I ended the call with Spike. "Stop doing that."

"Your mewling offends me," she went on for a bit while I got the car back on the main road.

* * *

"There," Illyria indicated to the line of cars turning into a parking lot, the school. The series of buildings, which would be my prison for the next few years, was clean, whole. All students would have books and a chance with a computer with the internet.

I had missed the school by one turn. Fuck.

I pulled in to the parking lot looking for a space. I followed the line of cars, which ended up being parents dropping off their precious darlings. I inched along until I got a chance to go back to the student lot. A parking space close to the door sat open. Another car looked like it was waiting but whatever. I needed to get out of the car. Illyria was still going on about dirty humans.

A horn blared as I whipped in to the open spot. I hurriedly got out of the car. The horn screeched again.

"Hey!"

I gave the driver the finger and walked up to the building. What Spike didn't know, won't hurt me.

* * *

The school was busy. Students rushing off looking for friends, boyfriends, girlfriends. Gossiping, whispering, talking, and cramming at the last minute for a test. It wasn't fair.

I felt a fresh pang of pain as the faces of my family and friends flashed through my mind. I was far away 'taking my chance' and 'starting again.' I was cleaning myself up. LA was still in shambles. I would be able to go back once I turned 18 but I knew what would happen. It had happened to Gunn.

He hadn't been around and everything had changed. He was no longer the leader of the group. He hadn't been there to protect us. He had left us there to die while he saved the world. As if, one person can make a difference. We'd had to move on and figure out how to protect ourselves.

The city would move on without me. LA would change and become stranger still. I would be stuck here.

Stuck here, waiting.

"Why are you still grieving?" Illyria's voice coming out of sweet Fred was wrong on an epic level. "Your presence is suffocating."

I stomped into the administrative offices, "If you are going to be Fred, be Fred. Or leave"

* * *

"I see that there's some holes in your record here" Miss Pillsbury organized herself. "Is that something you want to talk about?"

"Oh, our little troublemaker here is smart as a whip" FakeFred pandered.

I was just there. Gunn wanted me to finish school. I was here. I didn't have to be pleasant.

"She might not look like it but Bobi won't have any trouble catching up on any work she might have missed." FakeFred dropped her voice, "Her cousin just passed. It hit the family hard."

"Oh" Miss Pillsbury nodded, "Well Bobi, if there is anything you want to talk about-?" A bell rang bringing silence to the hallways.

I didn't like talking. Not everything can be solved by telling someone you love him or her. Not everything is a storybook dream. I lived in the real world. People died. They died and on the rare magical occasion they come back but always with a price.

I shook my head. I didn't want to talk. I didn't want to feel. I wanted to be angry. I wanted to be pissed. I wanted everything to be normal again. I wanted to be in LA. Life wasn't perfect there. Hell, it blew chunks most of the time. I was hungry, cold and in constant life threatening danger. But I was never alone. I always had someone to turn to, Gunn, the crew.

Now, I was just alone.

* * *

I stared at the slip of paper. Locker number 587, combination 26-22-18; yeah, this was it. I hadn't been able to find my locker earlier. Miss Pillsbury wanted me to talk. She even asked FakeFred to leave.

"Isn't that better?" she cheeped at me. I didn't hate it, watching FakeFred keep her composure all the while wanting to rip the still beating heart from the guidance counselor. She spent the next twenty minutes trying to persuade me into talking. The result was me being late for class with an appointment to try again.

I had taken one look at the lunch line and decided finding my locker would put off any unwanted interaction. I tried the combination again.

I pulled. I tugged. Huh.

"Ohmigod!" I whirled around looking for the attack. "Are those Jimmy Choos?"

An effeminate boy dressed in a cheerleading uniform was pointing to my feet. "What?"

He bent down reaching for my ankle, "They are!" I flailed around for balance as my right foot was lifted higher into the air. "Where did you get these?"

"Cleveland. Will you let go now?" he glanced up at my awkward position

"What? Oh, sorry." he said, "I'm Kurt. I really like your boots"

"Yeah, okay" we stared at each other for a second "Are we done?"

"Yeah" he nodded. I turned back to my locker. You will not control me. I am in con- "You're new here, aren't you?"

"What gave it away?" I smiled tightly "The boots?" Go away.

"The soles are badly scuffed which means you wear them a lot; a crime I'm willing to forgive" he paused bowing his head magnanimously, "which also means that I would have seen them before around school and I haven't. You're new"

I shrugged "Well, you've caught me. I'm new" I turned back to my locker. Surely, the bell would ring soon and he'll go away.

"I thought so" he grabbed my arm pulling me away from my locker "There was no way you got those boots in Cleveland." I yanked my arm out of his surprisingly strong grip. He twisted a combination into a lock. "Not even the designer shops in Cleveland carry that kind of quality fashion product." Fabric pieces and magazine clippings covered the inside locker door. His locker had books but also skin care products and several large cans of hairspray. "You're from New York aren't you?" he pulled books out and put books away. "With boots like those that's like the only place you could have gotten them" He turned back to me. We stared at each other.

"I'm from LA, just moved"

"Oh, I mourn for LA. All those shops and designer wear wasted on gang members." He placed a sympathetic hand on my shoulder.

I shrugged it off, "yeah, wasted." I didn't want to talk to him anymore. I didn't want to be in this hallway. I didn't want to be in Ohio.

I wanted to go home. I wanted the Council - RING

"Class" I muttered walking off into the crowd.

* * *

I slipped into my next class, Spanish. The teacher didn't look up until the second bell rang. I would have just sat down however Principal Figgins had agreed with FakeFred and, by extension, Spike that I needed to provide proof I had gone to classes the first day.

"Oh," the male teacher startled. "Hi, you must be new" The day was not even half over and I could say it with them. You must be new. No, I've been here the whole time. I just thought today would be a good day to finally announce my existence.

I nodded and shoved my slip under his nose.

"What's this?" he took the paper and read it without me having to say a word. "Well, welcome, I'm Mr. Schuester." He looked closer at the form, "Are you sure you are in the right place? This is Spanish II"

I nodded.

"Okay," Mr. Schuester smiled, "Clase, este es un nuevo estudiante. Su nombre es Bobi Gunn."

There was a mummer as the students tried to pronounce "Bienvenida." I nodded and sat in a chair. My phone buzzed in my pocket. Schuester was trying to rev the class up about prepositions. I mouthed the exercise along with the rest of the class bringing my phone out. Schuester didn't know me so my head dipped low wouldn't raise suspicions even though it is the universal sign that the student isn't paying attention.

The text was a question mark from Spike. Another way to control me at all times. I looked up slowly when Schuester picked on me to answer a question.

"_Voy con él._" I answered loud enough for the class to hear clearly. I ducked my head down again. A quick "school" to Spike and then I was handed a workbook and a textbook. "Perdón, me puede decir la política de la escuela teléfono celular?"

Mr. Schuester paused surprised, "Uh, not in class"

"The policy or cellphone usage?" without looking I changed my phone to silent.

"Usage"

"Gracias" I flipped open my workbook to the pages noted on the whiteboard.

The bell rang without me being called on for any more answers. However, Schuester stopped me.

"I won't keep you long" He shuffled homework pages together "I wanted see how your day was going"

I nodded "Fine"

"You seem to know what you're doing in class"

"Yeah" I inched a little further to the door "I still have to go to my locker before class, so…" Schuester waved me off. The thing is I knew enough Spanish to offend several types of people. I just hadn't been in class when I learnt it all.

* * *

There's a guy with a letterman jacket sitting on my car after school, "your car is in my parking space."

"It ain't got your name on it." I opened the backseat to dump my stuff, "Don't see any sort of numbering system, which leads me to believe, I can park where I want." I slammed the door close, "Get off my car."

"There is a system" He wasn't moving, "it's that I'm cool and you're not. So, that's my spot and you won't be parking there anymore."

"I'm only going to say this once more before this gets embarrassing for you. Get your white ass off of my car."

"What?" He laughed, "You think you can take me? You're a girl; you can't take me."

I got in his face, "take you? There is no question of if I can take you, but" I grabbed his arm, "I'm supposed to be going for civilized." I yanked sending the fucker with the jacket sprawling on the asphalt. I got in the car, and as I pulled out of my space, the fucker stood yelling "Freak!"

I drove away. The perfect way to end the day.


	3. Civilized

DISCLAIMER: Angel/Buffy type people belong to Joss Whedon, Glee type people belong to Ryan Murphy and Co., and Bobi belongs to us. There is no owning of anything. Except for Bobi.

AN: Please Review

* * *

**Civilized **

Dude, winter sucked, he thought. Spring was his time. Pools reopened, short skirts, loose freshmen. God, Puck missed spring. He always got excited when the first hints of it started popping up. Like the first rain, after months of snow, put most people in a good mood. For Puck it was the skirts and bikinis. Why else would you go to a swimming pool?

What is this? Strange legs, walking down towards the school. Puck checked the body for a Cheerios uniform. Fucking Cheerios always had their panties in a twist. The face was pretty. Puck couldn't say he didn't know her cause sometimes girls got hot and he had been going to school with them for years; like Rebecca Thomas. Christ, her mom was hot.

"I see you are quite taken with the new student," Jacob Ben-Loser wheezed in his ear. "Does this mean that you and Quinn are no longer an item? Because she's not keeping the baby, she no longer needs you?"

Puck rolled his eyes and grabbed the back of the freak's jacket. "Quinn will always need me. I got skills you will only ever read about" He frog marched the creeper to the dumpster, "there is no fuck like Puck"

With the Jewfro stewing in yesterday's Meatloaf Surprise, Puck searched for the girl in the skirt. She was bending over drawing the skirt up. Puck leaned back and spotted panty. Fuckin' a. He smiled.

It hadn't rained yet. The snow sat gray and slushy in the gutter. But Puck was in a good mood. Today was going to be a good day.

* * *

Fucking, Spike. Took all my damn clothes. Not _civilized_, he said. Hafta look more like a lady, he said. I look like a freaking hooker. I tried subtly to yank down on the hem of the skirt. I'm wearing a fucking skirt. I hate skirts. It covers nothing. I stalked into the school.

Spike deserves eternity in the fire-y depths for this. I should put him there. He sucks balls. And my locker too. Go to hell, fucking locker. It still won't open. Damn it. I gave it a kick for good measure.

I felt eyes on me.

"What are you staring at?" A buzz cut three lockers down smirked at my death glare.

"Right now?" he raised an eyebrow, "Your boobs. Before…not really sure, your vagina, maybe" He slid closer.

All the better to knock you into next week, my dear.

Deep breath. Picture something calming -like wearing pants.

NO! Deep breath.

"Keep away from me, perv" I shoved him back and moved into the crowd heading towards the gym. First period, P.E. - yay! shorts.

* * *

I got about four feet before my phone went off. I really needed to remember to put it on vibrate when I get to school.

I flipped it open, "Speak."

"You at school, duckie?" Spike started in.

"Nope," I answered sarcastically, "still in bed." I hated these stupid calls. They were designed with the sole purpose of making sure I was where I was supposed to be. I'm not five I don't need a fucking baby sitter.

"Funny, ducks," he rejoined. That was the cool thing about Spike; he took things at face value. He accepted what was said, no deeper meaning required.

The guy from my car yesterday breezed past an orange cup in his hand. Man on a mission. He stalked up to someone with a unicorn sweater and flung the contents of a cup at her. The guy didn't stop. He moved down the hall empty cup in hand receiving high fives from other jacketed jocks.

"That was strange." The brunette stood there for a second before wiping enough of the colored slush to see the way to the bathroom.

"Wha-" Spike cut himself off saying, "I gotta go, cupcake."

"Spike?" Dead air. Sure, okay.

* * *

"Hiya, Bobi"

"How do you know my name?" The guy from the lockers slid into a desk.

"I asked around" He leaned over to look up my skirt. Fucking skirt.

I jerked in my chair trying to obstruct his view, "What are you doing?"

"I'm sitting, this is class. It's not like I have a choice." He leaned over again, "Not complaining got a good view, probably going to come to Algebra more often now..."

"You really are a perv; keep your eyes away from my ass." I turned around and began copying the problems on the board, "No one knows me to ask about me, Stalker."

"People know more than you think, just hafta know who to ask." He leaned in to talk in my ear, "I'm Puck."

"Puck, really?" I batted my eyes at him. "Are you a fuckin' fairy?"

"Because Bobi is so much better," he quieted a little when the teacher glanced our way, "its short for Puckerman. I ain't no fairy."

I hummed a little, "I like Stalker better."

"I'm not a stalker, just- curious," he whispered lecherously.

"You know, where I'm from this ends with your face lookin' like ya went a few rounds with fuckin' Rocky Balboa."

"Miss Gunn, can you solve for x please?" Shit in a bucket.

"Why? Don't you know?" the class giggled.

"Because the math seems to have excited you so very much. Solve for x."

"X=4.29"

"No I don't…" the teacher looked down at his answers, "Okay very good."

* * *

Lunch. In a damn skirt. I hate people. They are all pattering about and happy, with people to talk to.

An empty table sat in the middle of cafeteria. I took a sit at the table, alone. Whatever. I didn't need anybody.

The jack-off from yesterday sat down next to me. I looked over.

"Wait" I hold up my hand, "let me guess, this is your table." I was not in the mood for this.

"Ha, ha you got a mouth on you, freak" he chuckled a little. "What you did yesterday? No one does that to me and gets away with it."

"That was yesterday" I drawled, "seems I already have."

"Doesn't matter today, yesterday. What's a day?"

" Uh, 24 hours." Dumb shit.

"There's that mouth again" he shook his head, "Going to have to shut you up." The jacket reached over and grabbed the roll off my tray. I saw it coming. He shoved the roll into my face.

I spat out the bread jerking to my feet. The fucker with a jacket stood at the same time. My hand forced his head into my full tray. Shit. I didn't even eat any of it yet.

"Hey!" a pudgy faculty member pushed his way through the crowd. "Break it up!"

Another teacher grabbed my arm pulling me away from the guy. "Figgins" the pudgy teacher growled at the guy. "Now" he glared my way. Damn. I'm hungry, too.

Ugh, so much for civilized. Crap. Spike was gonna be pissed.

* * *

"You want to talk about it?" Ms. Pillsbury asked from behind her desk. Pile of papers about two inches high sits in front of her.

My file, peachy.

I've been sitting here counting tiles for the past fifteen minutes and she wants to know if I want to talk about it. Come on, she has to be smarter than this.

"Not really" I stood up. "I like express myself through action. Not, ya know, words."

I was starting to feel caged. I didn't want to be here. I didn't want to talk. The douche had it coming.

"I really need for you to talk about this," said Ms. P again, while reaching for a pamphlet entitled, 'Bullying, Who Are You Really Hurting,' "I think you should review this pamphlet." Ha, my ass.

I scoffed, "Why, I didn't do nothin' wrong. HE attacked ME." This is complete and utter bullshit.

Ms. Pillsbury started looking nervous when I raised my voice. Great, I scared the lamb. "Read the pamphlet. It should help. "Like hell it will.

Okay, I'm pissed. "This is bullshit. I didn't start this fuckin' fight. You wanna talk to a bully, talk to the other guy. I was defending myself."

Now she looked petrified. I stopped caring about five minutes ago. They were looking for someone to blame. Why not the black girl over the white jock? "Yes, well, um…" I walked out.

* * *

I need something to hit. Oh hey, front door. I open it, walk through.

SLAM

I waited just beyond the door. Nothing happened.

No Spike yelling. No Illyria popping up lecturing me on my inferiority. Lyri must be creeping about somewhere else.

I walked to the kitchen to deposit my book bag. What? The fuck? I peeked around the corner.

_"She's a super freak, super freak,_

_She's super freaky, owww"_

Damn it! Of all the annoying…"ANDREW, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Fuck, I do not need this today.

"Why hello, cousin of Gunn" Andrew greeted me cheerfully. Probably hoping to make up for his invasion. "I am here because I was _banish-shed_" he replied with a flourish of hand movement to dramatize the statement further.

"And they saw fit to torture us instead?" Council haters.

"I guess," He said shrugging, " I was told to' get the heck out of Cleveland, and check on the crazy blue goddess and Spike.'" He grinned widely, "I made you a snack." He set a plate down on the table. "Flan!"

I plopped down on a stool. Andrew was not cool. He was a nerd. He was a burden but he made really good food.

"Nothing says welcome home like an after school snack." Andrew thrust a fork in my direction. He took a seat across from me looking worried. "Illyria said she was taking a walk about two hours ago and hasn't come back yet."

My hand stopped halfway to my mouth, "Yeah, she does that. We 'mere mortals' piss her off pretty easily." I started the shoveling of the sugary, sweetness into my face. Damn, he can cook. I could feel the irritation of Andrew's appearance fading away. The pain was still there; but that was always there.

I braked for some air, "This is really good, Andrew."

"Thanks, I hoped you would like it," he said wistfully, while watching me. "I like custard-y desserts." It would be creepy if I weren't used to him.

God help me, I'm used to him.

"Sorry bout the door," I finished the last of the flan, "I had a thing at school."

"It's fine, didn't really notice" he got up from the table to wash the dishes. "It's kind of just your way"

Spike banged into the kitchen. "How's it hanging, duckie?" He was in a really good mood. The school must not have called him. Yay, me.

"Have a nice afternoon?" I asked pointing to Andrew. Please don't ask about school. Please don't ask. "Andrew's here."

"Yup showed up this morning" Spike accepted a cup of blood from him. "He'll only be here a few days."

"I am curious" Illyria revealed herself "about this weapon called a swing set."

Spike raised an eyebrow, "I'll be there in a minute. You've got homework, ducks?"

"Nope" I tried to calm my racing heart after Illyria's sudden appearance.

"You sure?"

"Yep" I stood. I wanted to go out. I wanted to feel at home. I didn't want to deal with that school anymore.

"Why do you lie to the half-breed?" I glared at the goddess.

I wasn't sure what she thought I was lying about. I'd been doing an awful lot of that. But she couldn't know what had happened, could she?

"Do your homework, cupcake," Spike said following Lyri into the basement.

I sighed taking out my homework. We were going for civilized after all.


	4. The Raspberry Incident

DISCLAIMER: Angel/Buffy type people belong to Joss Whedon, Glee type people belong to Ryan Murphy and Co., and Bobi belongs to us. There is no owning of anything. Except for Bobi.

AN: Please Review

* * *

**The Raspberry Incident**

I woke with a start. What's that?

_Knock, knock, knock. _"Good morning sunshine," Andrew yelled from the other side of the door.

Fuck me. Why is he so happy it is…I glanced at my digital alarm clock, 6:25 am?

I gave a non-committal grunt, pulled my pillow from under my head, and covered my ears with it.

I heard Andrew again from the other side of/open the door, with a sing-song voice, "Wake-y, wake-y, eggs and bac-y," really, he woke me up to serenade me with stupid sayings.

"No, really" he said, "there are eggs and bacon and pancakes waiting in the kitchen when you decide to grace us with your presence."

I shot out of bed and book it to the bathroom. Don't care that it's early Andrew makes the best pancakes. While I doing my toileting, I tie my curly dark brown hair back and rinse my face. I leave the bathroom and march into the kitchen seating myself in front of a big plate of food. Num.

Andrew is staring at me from across the room, "Can I help you with something?" I asked between bites of crispy bacon.

Now that I had engaged, he inched across the room toward the table not quite sure of himself. "How is the young Padawan fairing?"

"Did you bribe me with breakfast so you could ask me how I'm adjusting?" He sat down and put his elbows to the table.

Resting his chin in his hands, "Maybe, do you think its working?" He watched me without blinking.

"No, but thank you," I said "for you know" I gestured to the food gathered on the table but meaning so much more. We stood together. He grabbed my plate to put in the sink. "I'm working on trying," I offered. I didn't meet his eyes.

"It gets easier," he said rinsing the plate.

I stood there for a second, "What does?" The pain, the heartache?

"Pretending your okay," he said simply, placing the plate in the dishwasher.

I walked up to Andrew and gave him a hug. It was awkward but I meant it. That had to count for something. "Thanks, Andrew" I whispered before pulling away. It was time to get ready for school.

* * *

"Piece of-crap" I dropped my voice, "Open!" The heel of my hand met the locker for the fifth time today. Ow. I hate this fucking locker. Who am I kidding? I hate this damn town. I looked over when I realized I was being watched.

A girl in knee socks and a skirt leaned in, "Maybe you should go to the office."

"What?"

"The office could check the combination or move you to a working locker" she shrugged.

"What do you care?"

"I've seen you trying to beat you locker open a few times..." the girl inched closer. " Moreover, we have classes together. You never seem prepared."

"You care, why?"

"Just thought I'd help."

"No," I loomed over her, "you were just being nosy."

"I'm Rachel" she stuck her hand out, "Rachel Berry."

"Yeah and?" my phone buzzed in my pocket. Whatever. Rachel had dropped her hand. Her smiled faded as I walked away.

"Speak," I said into the phone making my way to Spanish.

"You alive?" asked Spike from the other end of the line.

"Seem to be."

"You causing mayhem?"

"No" I answered quickly. Not yet anyway. I looked back over at the tiny brunette following me with an intense look. Creeper.

"Uh-huh," was his response. I swear I could hear his eyebrow rise.

A hand grabbing my phone and closing it cut me off.

"No phones on school grounds, come get it at the end of the day," said the cheerleading coach, Coach Syl-something.

"Whatever," I sneered walking into class.

RING Just in time.

"Hola, estamos trabajando hoy en la estación y las palabras asociadas a ellas," Mr. Schue-whatever started, then repeated in English," Today, we will be working on the seasons and words associated with them."

I listened long enough to hear, "La estación que somos adentro ahora es resorte, which means 'the season we are now in is spring." I started counting tiles. This was going to be a long class.

* * *

I rushed out of my last period history class making my way through the halls. My goal was simple: Open my locker, and maybe find out where Coach Phone Stealer's office was.

I just reached my hallway, when out of the corner of my eye I saw a red blob moving toward a pink one. I slowed to see what was going on.

That's when Fucker with the Jacket swung his arm.

Spsh, Ahh! Right in the kisser.

It was a beautiful shot but what is it with this place and tossing drinks on people?

I shook my head trying to clear it. And I'm walking. Open locker, get phone.

* * *

This damn locker hates me. I needed slayer strength to force it open. Watcher's Council lackeys.

Maybe- what's her name? Raspberry? No, but its close. Maybe she was right; I should go to the office.

I felt eyes on me again. I turned to the owner of the lecherous eyes, Puck. I glanced at my watch. Fuck, I needed my phone. I sighed heavily feeling this was a mistake. "I have a question" I directed towards him.

"Yes, to sex, no to anal," he interjected.

Eww, perv. Yup, mistake.

I moved closer "Listen closely Stalker, no" I enunciated. I tried again "Could you point me in the direction of the blonde lady with Florence Henderson hair, Coach Something?"

"I think your life would last longer if you steered clear of Coach Sylvester," he replied, coolly leaning against the lockers between his and mine. Is this guy for real?

"She has my phone," I said giving my locker one last withering look.

"First door to the right, off the lobby, look for the trophies," he said, "I'd escort you, but I have a reputation to uphold."

"Yea, right, you're a badass with cotton cojones. You're not worried about your reputation" I sneered grabbing my bag off the floor. "You're scared of the cheerleading coach."

I walked at a brisk pace, leaving my stalker to soak in my last insult. I'm on the left side of the lobby when I hear Puck yell, "You know nothing about the state of my cojones!"

"Uh-huh," I said more to myself than anyone else. Okay, maybe not that big of a mistake. I gave Puck a wave as I marched across the lobby, spotting the room, and the trophies Puck talked about.

"Knock, knock," I peeked into Coach Sylvester's office.

"Have a seat, Roberta" she stood closing what looked like a journal. She keeps a journal. Really? I mean free country and all that.

"It's Bobi. I'm not staying. I just came for my phone," I said from just inside the door.

"You can have it," she agreed, "once we have a nice little chat," indicating a chair. Fuck, I don't wanna talk to anyone about my feelings for like the rest of eternity.

"I don't really have time for this, if I don't make this call, there's gonna be trouble," I perched in a chair.

"That's the problem with young people today. Can't stop thinking about their boyfriends and what will happen if they can't find out what he ate for lunch," the Coach scoffed.

"It's ain't like that. My guardians worry if I don't touch base with one of them three times a day," I defended.

"That's no excuse," she spit back at me. "So I've taken the liberty of going through your personal file. Quite a novel it is too. I want you to know that I will be keeping a close eye on you. We don't respond well to hooligans." This lady's a piece of work.

"With all due respect, Ms. Sylvester, I don't think that is within your job description. There are guidance counselors and principal to threaten me into behaving," I answered coldly. She doesn't have business in _my _business.

"That's where you're wrong. The entire goings on at this school is my business," she replied tersely.

I'm so done with this.

"Okay, you're watching me, great." I really wanted to leave now. "Can I have my phone now?"

"You think this is hard try, debating with the Pope about abortion. That's hard," she fired at me pulling out my phone. She handed it to me gesturing for me to leave. I had been dismissed.

Okay, that was weird. I hurried away. That woman is a fucking loony thinking she can tell me what to do.

* * *

I got to my car and threw my bag into the back seat. My ringtone sounded from its place inside my bag. Spike. I leaned back in the driver's seat and made a grab for my bag. I came out with my phone.

I flipped it open with my customary "Speak."

"What happened, duckie?" Spike sounded worried "You hung up and didn't answer when I tried to ring back."

"Sorry. My phone got confiscated," I answered tersely.

"Confiscated?" he sighed. Yeah, this wasn't my fault.

"Uh-huh, apparently what I said was the rule. Wasn't in fact the rule: No phones on school grounds." I swear they think I make this stuff up to complicate THEIR lives. What about mine? No one seems to give a hoot about that.

"Well, ducks, you're going to have to try harder at being inconspicuous. This is a normal town for our normal girl"

"Seriously? There is no inconspicuous for me. New girl remember, people make it their business to know where I am at every second. The fact that we moved here mid- year, mid- semester, is a good enough reason that I can't be normal for some. It's called high school."

"Try harder cupcake."

"Right." Try harder at being normal and civilized at a school where they throw drinks on people they don't like.

"Listen, duckie" he sighed, "come straight home. Do your homework."

"Yeah, yeah I know." The line was dead before I finished. Perfect. I'm alone even in my own 'home.'


	5. God Lies

DISCLAIMER: Angel/Buffy type people belong to Joss Whedon, Glee type people belong to Ryan Murphy and Co., and Bobi belongs to us. There is no owning of anything. Except for Bobi.

AN: Please Review

* * *

**God Lies**

"ANDREW! WHERE ARE MY JEANS?" I hollered from the laundry room, that's the last place I saw them.

"THEY WERE ALL HOLEY AND STAINED, SO I TOOK INITIATIVE AND THREW THEM OUT," he shouted back from somewhere else in the house, probably the kitchen. He lived there.

That little weasel!

"THEY WERE MY LAST FUCKING PAIR," I screamed making my way through the house, to the kitchen where I found him at the sink. I approached him arms extended, planning some kind of violence. "You know that guy in Mortal Combat," I whispered angrily "who rips out spinal cords and plays jump rope with them? Think I'm gonna to try that."

"AHHHH, NOOO," shouted Andrew as I started giving him a noogie. "HELP, HELP I'M BEING OPPRESSED."

I stopped noogie-ing him, slapping him in the arm, "YOU'RE being oppressed, YOU'RE the one who stole MY PANTS," I exclaimed still slapping him.

Spike walked into the room cup of blood in hand, "Duckie, cut that out. Civilized, remember?"

"I thought that was just out in public," I retorted fuming, "He threw out my pants!"

"Ya can't really blame him, ducks, they were in tatters," Spike responded. Your face is in tatters!

"But, what will I wear now" I tried to hold in the anger, "I don't have pants."

"When I was putting laundry in your room, I saw a lovely dress and some nice skirts," Andrew offered.

"Ugh," I stormed back to my room mumbling, "Fucking skirts, I hate fucking skirts."

"Language, cupcake," Spike called after me. Damn vampire hearing. And damn him, this is all his fucking fault. I would never be here if it wasn't for him and his posse of do-gooders.

* * *

Bobi was dancing, if you could call it that, in her car. Her mouth was moving with the muffled music. She was singing Puck realized.

She wasn't like the girls in Glee.

Rachel would put on a show. Mercedes wouldn't be caught dead listening to the country music moving Bobi. Brittany is too simple to be able to drive a car. Santana wouldn't sing for pleasure in public. Quinn would never be this uninhibited. She always has her game face on. The baby made her a target or invisible depending on the day. Kurt would be halfway to the dumpster by the amount of Titan red still in the parking lot.

Hell, she wasn't like the other girls in the school. Normally he would consider Bobi a freak, because she was different. But she wasn't. She was something else. Puck didn't know what. But he wanted to find out.

Bobi was a girl and she was hot. He's spent the last few English classes staring a hole in the back of her head instead of looking up Brittany's skirt.

Maybe he was growing.

The curve of her neck when Puck's stare drew her attention was driving him nuts. He could picture his mouth on that spot. He really wanted to touch her. Puck really wanted her beneath him. But he was trying this new thing where he didn't piss off Quinn by having sex with other girls. Bobi was nobody though so Puck didn't know why she was drawing his attention like she was.

She half turned her head to glance at him through the corner of her eye. Bobi was just about the hottest thing Puck had seen in a long while.

* * *

This morning had been tough. Music blasting all the way to school helped quiet the anger to simmer under the surface. I was about ready to enjoy a mid-morning siesta, when Puck sauntered into Algebra.

Mr. Fisher remarked, "Mr. Puckerman, this is the third class in as many days, that you've graced us with your presence. Have your 'math- aches' finally dissipated?"

"Yea, Mr. F. They got this medication now," Puck said taking his seat. Fantastic, I'm wearing another short skirt. Damn Andrew. And screw Spike, too.

Puck shifted in his chair leaning forward and back making it look like he was getting comfortable. He whispered at me, "Nice skulls."

I re-crossed my legs. I smiled, "These old things," I flapped my hand, "Had 'em forever."

"Bikini or thong?" Puck leered.

I winked, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Mr. Fischer started in on the math. Most of the class's shoulders slumped in defeat as he handed back homework. "This was dismal, people. We've been talking about-"

'Kay, bored now.

I put my head on my desk. Siesta, here I come.

* * *

The next thing I know, I got a hand high on my thigh, and someone whispering "Hey Sleeping Beauty, wake up."

"You got a death wish" I grabbed at the offending hand.

"Not particularly. But another inch and I'da died a happy man."

I shoved his hand away standing, "Never woulda happened, Stalker."

I walked out. I'm not going to freak out about being woken up. I'm not going to freak out that my guard was down. I'm not going to freak out that his hand was really soft.

* * *

"Hey Sexy," I heard my stalker say as I was making my way from the cafeteria to my locker. That beige monstrosity was going down this time.

"What'da want?" I asked turning to look at him as he filed in next to me.

"I've just been thinking about your underwear," Puck smirked.

"Don't think too hard you'll go blind."

"Got it covered, babe," he winked at a passing cheerleader.

"I've no doubt in my mind," we bypass my locker for his. I give it a murderous glare.

"Wanna join?" he placed a hand on either side of my head leaning into my space.

"In your dreams, Horn Dog," I reached around, making as if I'm gonna give him a squeeze, grabbing hold of the fleshy stuff at the small of his back pinched. Hard.

Puck yelped and jumped back, more in shock than actual pain. I glared at my locker again, pointing, "I'm comin' for you next, Devil Locker."

Puck recovered enough to grunt, "You know I like it rough" and laugh at my locker curses.

I give my locker a good kick hoping to dent it this time. "Bollocks," I stubbed my toe instead.

I turn around. Raspberry stood dangerously close to me.

"Did you just warn your locker of your imminent arrival?"

"Yea, so?" I slammed the stupid thing with the heel of my hand.

"Still haven't gone to the office?"

I turned back to Berry "What are you, my keeper?"

"No, I'm making an observation."

"Well, go do it over there," I pointed down the hall.

"Fine," uhh, I know this, I do…Rachel, turned to go.

Something flashed in my brainpan, "Wait a sec, you were the chick with the unicorn sweater that some guy poured stuff on, right?"

"Yeah, it happens to me all of the time, we call it getting Slushied; some refer to it as a 'Slushie Facial.'"

"Oh, of course," This town is fucking nuts. Don't people have better things to do? "'kay carry on," I gestured for her to get a move on. I now had one minute to make it across campus for Spanish. Time flies, when you're being harassed. I grabbed my bag, death glare my locker and shoved off.

* * *

Mr. Kaider, my history teacher, was jumping around the small stage in front of the classroom. I wasn't really sure what he was talking about but he was really into it.

"The measure of a man! That's what we're talking about!" the teacher shouted to the class. A scent wafted over to me as I scribbled down some notes. Gunn's cologne.

I hadn't smelled that is forever. Tears sprang to my eyes. This was stupid. Why was I still upset over this? He was dead. He was gone. Gunn couldn't come back. He wasn't coming back. I was alone. Everything I ever knew was buried in the remains of LA.

I dashed the tears from my eyes. I tried to focus on the lecture but Kaider was bouncing around singing. This was all Gunn's fault anyway. These weren't sad tears anymore. I was furious.

He had left me. Gunn had died without a thought to how anyone else was affected. I mean Illyria, the God-King was my guardian! Gunn said he wanted me to experience normal and finish school. I was trying to live a normal life with a soul-ed vampire and an Old One. That's not normal! It's so far from normal that I just don't know if I could do this anymore. It was starting to hurt too much to keep pretending.

* * *

"Ms. Gunn, step into my office," God is talking to me from a trophy. Wait, it's just Coach Sylvester. Damn I was hoping for God. I got words for him. Her. Whatever.

I sidetracked to her office and stand there. Staring at the coach, while she finishes a protein shake.

"So I hear you're causing scenes in some of your classes, Roberta."

This is going to take awhile so I move to the chairs in front of her desk. "Uh."

"Stop right there I don't want to hear your excuses, my ears hurt."

I am _so _confused right now, "Coach, I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

"In math class, you and one Noah Puckerman started making out," Sylvester came around to my side of the desk and loomed over me, pointing, "This will not stand."

Where is she getting this stuff? "I haven't made out with anyone. Especially Puckerman."

"LIES" Coach whirled back to her chair, "I think I might see Figgins about this" more to herself than to me.

Shit in a bucket. Just what I need the Principal on my ass for something I didn't even do.

"Your face is making my eyes burn. Leave." Bitch.

Don't have to tell me twice, I book it to the exit seething. I don't stop 'til I'm secured in my car.

* * *

I wasn't crying. I wasn't.

I was just exhausted. I couldn't take much more of this. Every time it's a little good - every time I forget for a little while, I feel like there's a weight pressing down on me. I left LA, my home. The crew, my family, died in a horrific way. I ran away from it all. But I couldn't escape from that.

Spike may have been right. There were no demons in Lima except for him and Lyri now. But I still jerked awake dripping in sweat in the middle of the night. I can still hear the screams and feel the fires burning. I still remember what it was like there.


	6. The Fights

DISCLAIMER: Angel/Buffy type people belong to Joss Whedon, Glee type people belong to Ryan Murphy and Co., and Bobi belongs to us. There is no owning of anything. Except for Bobi.

AN: Please Review

* * *

**The Fights**

FUCKING, PIECE OF SHIT, CHEAP ASS, TOSS POT OF A LOCKER!

Toss pot? Crap, I've been spending too much time with the Wonder Blonde.

The stupid fucking locker wouldn't open. I tried the combination again and pulled, tugged, slammed my hand against the metal. The ridiculously beige painted locker wouldn't budge from its closed position.

I checked the locker number. Yes, it was the right locker. There was no letter in front of it. The hallways weren't marked as with a letter or whatever that wouldn't make this my locker.

So, this stupid fucking closed locker was mine. Still. Damn.

I checked again, hoping I was in the wrong place. The hallway looked familiar. I looked both ways to establish once again that this was my locker.

But the thing wouldn't open.

With another shot of my foot to the bottom locker and my hand to the top, I snatched my things from the floor. I turned down the hallway, making my way to the office. Pissed at the world for the inconvenience that is my life.

* * *

Stupid cunt! Red ice dripped down my face into my shirt. What is it with town and slushies! Wiping my eyes, I turned and ran after the perpetrator. Uhh, the douche!

The fucker with the jacket was calmly walking down the corridor laughing and joking about "mission accomplished," receiving high fives and "you're the man!" s. With a burst of angry speed, I grabbed the back of the jacket and slammed the fucker into the lockers.

"Hey!"

"PIECE OF SHIT!" My fist connected with his jaw, forcing his head back into the lockers dropping the jacket.

"Asshole" I murmured stalking into the girls' restroom.

The slushie sat in my bra staining my white shirt. Stripping, dumping my shirt into on sink, I started to shovel out the sticky ice in my bra. I turned on the water to the sink with my shirt hoping to get the stain out. FUCKING SLUSHIES.

"Seriously, slushies? Who the fuck came up with this shit?" I stared to rant to myself when Mr. Schuester barged in the bathroom.

"Bobi-! Oh, sorry" he whipped back out blushing deep red. Like he had never seen a girl half-naked, digging around in her bra before. Priss.

I grabbed for the bathroom paper towels and set to work trying to rid my body of the slushie.

"I have some stain remover in my office" the guidance counselor cheeped.

I stopped the water on my shirt "Thanks." The anger wasn't gone but Miss Pillsbury always looked like I was going to eat her. Fuck my life.

Miss Pillsbury hesitated by the door. What was she waiting for? I offered her a tight smile.

"I'd come but I think some of the guys would like it too much..." I started gesturing to my bra covered half. Miss Pillsbury turned violently red.

"Oh, no. Nonononono. I'll-I'll-," she managed to stammer before leaving the restroom.

I had managed to switch my shirt to another sink, clean my body, and wipe up the puddles on the floor before Miss Pillsbury made it back. The door cracked open and I heard Mr. Schuester say something before Miss Pillsbury backed into the room.

"Here," she proffered the stain remover. We were silent as I started the process of trying to rid my white shirt of the slushie stain. "So, are you okay?"

I looked up from scrubbing the shirt together, "Fine" Translation: You can leave now. I want to wallow.

"Okay" Miss Pillsbury tried to look casual leaning against a sink, "You laid out another student."

I nodded.

"He was out cold for five minutes"

I smirked, Pussy.

I nodded in acknowledgement to the guidance counselor. The shirt wasn't looking so bad any more but it would never be white again. A slight pink tint remained.

"Coach Sylvester is talking Principal Figgins into expulsion," Miss Pillsbury tried again. I started to dry my shirt under the hand dryer. I nodded another acknowledgement, and went blank. It wouldn't be the first time and it probably wouldn't be the last.

"Do you want to talk about it?" the guidance counselor asked before I could start the hand blower again.

I shook my head and smiled sadly at her. "I'll be fine," I said over the noise. Spike was going to be_ so_ angry. On the plus side, I might be able to get away from these dick wads and this shit hole of a town.

A knock sounded and the door was pushed open. Rachel Berry had a shirt in her hands. If she's not the most goody- goody, fuckin' girl next door... "What do you want?"

"Bobi," warned Ms. P. I took a breath. Rachel Berry didn't attack me.

"Mr. Schuester said you're shirt got ruined..."

"And you thought you'd give a hand out to the poor, charity case?" I went back to drying my shirt, "No thanks, I don't buy into hand outs."

"It's not like that. I get slushied all the time and I always have an extra outfit on hand." Fantastic, a fucking girl scout. "I just thought that maybe if I helped you this time, maybe next time you'd help me."

Fine, I needed the shirt anyway. The hand dryer wasn't cutting it.

"A 'you rub my back, I'll rub yours' deal. I can dig." I nodded and slipped on the shirt. It was a little smaller than I would have liked but at least I would be able to finish out the school day. Rachel was still talking.

I folded up my shirt, looked around for anything missing and walked out the door. Leaving Raspberry talking to the guidance counselor.

* * *

I was back at my locker trying to force it open by sheer will when I was whirled around.

"That was a mistake," Fucker with the Jacket growled.

"Little girl"

"What?"

"'That was a mistake, little girl,'" I offered, "you forgot the 'little girl.'"

A hand slammed into the lockers next to my head, "you are just like those other freaks. We don't like freaks at this school."

I pushed the closest jacketed minion, "Okay, you need to lay off the steroids. 'Roid rage isn't something to laugh about." I started down the hall. Fucker with the Jacket grabbed my arm. I pushed the hand off and slapped him with my other hand. "Don't touch me."

"Is there a problem here, ladies?"

Puck stood outside of 'the Jackets.' Hands at his sides, feet shoulder width apart. Loose and tense at the same time. Someone is expecting a fight.

"What's it to you, Puckerman?" I watched as the Jackets moved away from me. A voice inside my head told me to slip away. I didn't need to get into another fight today. I was really close to moving again but Puck, he had stopped them. Why?

"Real smooth Karofsky" he smirked, "need a gang to get the girl?"

Karofsky? I like Fucker with the Jacket better.

"Well at least I didn't have to get her drunk," quipped Fucker with the Jacket.

I may not have been at the school long but I know a below the belt blow when I hear one, "ass wipe." I heard a snort; must'a said that one aloud.

"Go away Puckerman, me and her got business." Fucker said, turning to me, "So, I owe you a knock out." Karofsky fucker was moving back towards. I assumed the 'ready' position. I could use the exercise.

"Didn't your mom ever tell you it's rude to beat on girls?" Puck remarked before a punch could be thrown.

"Since we're bringing up parents," Karofsky rounded back on Puck "how's your dad doing? Hear anything from him lately?"

Another low blow; can this guy go any lower? A split second and the Fucker with the Jacket had a split lip. The rest of the Jackets joined the fray. Looks like that's my cue.

"Oh, come on, stop!" I levered a body off the pile. "Stop it!" The fire alarm sounded in the hall. The sprinklers went off, "Oh, Fuck me." Second time in one day.

* * *

"Are you going to explain yourselves?" Principal Figgins glared across his desk. Mr. Schuester and Coach Sylvester stood to the side as witnesses to the flogging.

Puck and I sat bloodied and dripping wet. I had caught an elbow trying to help Coach Sylvester and Mr. Schuester pull the boys off each other. My eye was swelling to an impressive size even with the ice pack tight to my face.

My ringtone sounded in the sullen silence. No one was going to talk. I reached for my phone.

"We are not done talking about this" Principal Figgins intoned his hand out for the phone.

"I have to answer this." Dumbass.

"You're sorority of abused girls can wait" Coach Sylvester grabbed the phone and silenced it. I snarled and pressed the ice pack tighter to my eye. Not only did I get in two fights today and sent to the principal's office but also I wasn't going to answer my phone for the daily check-in. "Now, you obviously started this school yard brawl with Puckerman here. The Glee club is trying to take out the competition."

"Bobi is not even in Glee club"

"I see no difference here" My phone interrupted Coach Sylvester. A different ringtone, Andrew was calling. I didn't say anything as Coach Sylvester turned off the phone. Yeah, that was a mistake. "Where was I?"

"I'm not in glee club. I don't do 'happy- go-lucky, all the world's a stage' shh-sugar-coated... stuff." I finished lamely, "I didn't start no fight."

"No, you were just in the middle of an altercation with the same person who you knocked out this morning" Coach 'Tude sneered at me, "a little revenge perhaps."

"That doesn't even make sense," Mr. Schuester yelled.

"Yes," I started over the Hairdo before he could make it worse, "It was revenge. That Karofsky dude was pissed. He was going to make me pay one way or another"

"I saw no such thing," Coach 'Tude exclaimed.

"Whatever," I scoffed, "he was backed up by three of your letterman jacket goons. Nice welcome wagon." I looked directly at Principal Figgins, "He called me a freak and said that they didn't like freaks at the school."

"I agree" Coach Sylvester leaned in close to Principal Figgins, "This girl is more trouble than she is worth. Cut her loose."

"Now, wait a minute, Sue" Mr. Schuester stood up, "Bobi is an exemplarily student. She would never start a fight" So, he hadn't seen my record then.

"Fourteen" Coach Sylvester had.

"What?"

"Little Miss Fights A lot has started fourteen fights in her previous schools."

"Technically, only ten" I couldn't help myself. The teachers looked over at me. "Two of the fights should have been expunged from my record and the other two could never be proven that I personally started the fights. But this one I really didn't start. I was walking away when Puck got involved. There was an insult and yada, yada, yada the sprinklers went off."

"I don't care about the details, your incessant chatter is making my ears bleed" said Coach 'Tude.

"They" I gestured to Puck, "got into the fight. I was just there."

The adults started to argue over the fight, the students involved, and possible punishments. I stopped listening, even if I did get expelled (which was unlikely for my first/second real offense) I would get a slap on the wrist from the Council people holding the purse strings and a lecture from Spike about getting caught. What did catch my attention was "Glee Club" and "Bobi" in the same sentence.

The fuck? Stop. Play back. "I'm sorry, what?"

* * *

We were making our way out of Figgins' office. When I heard Figgins say, "Mr. Pratt, I'm from McKinley…" Great.

Once out of the office, I asked, "So why'd you do that?" It was a question burning in the back of my head.

"What?" he said as we started moving to the lockers.

"Step in, you had no reason. So why did you do it?" I said. I'd given up on my locker so I was standing next to Puck's.

"Pop's didn't teach me much, but he taught me you don't mess with girls." He wasn't looking at me; his head was in his locker. "We make a pretty good team." As he came out from his locker without grabbing anything. Weird. Not going to touch any of that.

Having finished at his locker we started walking for the parking lot. Puck had gotten Saturday detention. I don't want to think about my punishment. It _so_ wasn't fair.

"So your parents going to be pissed?" I ask, leading him to my car.

"Ma's busy. Work," he shrugged, "You?"

"Have to have parents for them to be pissed. I have a Spike. He'll be more pissed that I got caught, not 'cause it happened." We'd reached my car. I unlocked it. Why was he standing here? Why did he walk with me? His car is all the way across the lot.

I had the door open and had one foot inside when I said, "Thanks." But he was already half way across the parking lot. Huh. We had a conversation that didn't involve him hitting on me and I didn't get violent.

* * *

"You're grounded" Spike mouthed to me.

"Who's he on the phone with?"

"Your school" Andrew handed me a plate of apple slices, "You got into a fight"

"Yeah, but it's like not even the first time this week I got into a fight and now I'm grounded."

He shrugged standing by the sink and watched me eat the apple.

Andrew took my empty plate at the same time Spike hung up the phone.

"Three fights," Spike started. Here we fucking go.

"It wasn't my fault," I defended standing up. I want to be at full height.

"Of course it wasn't." It reeked of sarcasm.

"You don't fucking know. You weren't fucking there." We started moving closer to one another. Andrew inched towards the hallway.

"I know you. And I know what the school just told me." We circled each other in the middle of the kitchen. I could see Andrew out of the corner of my eye. He was peeking his head around the entrance to the kitchen.

"Fine, it was my fault. I'm still not doing that bullshit _Glee Club_" I spat back

"Like hell you're not. You think that this is what Gunn would have wanted for you? To get kicked out of school, possibly end up in jail?"

"Gunn isn't here. If you hadn't noticed, he's dead. He doesn't want anything any more. He's gone." We stopped circling. "I'm not going to the damn Glee club."

"What is glee club?" Illyria popped up in between Spike and me.

"Glee club is a bunch of hormonal fuckers who sing and dance and are happy all the damn time," I answered through clenched teeth.

"Why?" she tilted her head.

"I expect to torture me," I snarled.

"Music was the grunts of your kind as I crushed you beneath my feet" sensing my exit, I sidestepped Illyria.

"Peachy" Marching past Andrew and toward my room I grumbled. She could hear me anyway.

SLAM

"You're going to that sodding Glee Club!" Spike yelled at it. Yeah, we'll 'sodding' see.


	7. Demon Coaches

DISCLAIMER: Angel/Buffy type people belong to Joss Whedon, Glee type people belong to Ryan Murphy and Co., and Bobi belongs to us. There is no owning of anything. Except for Bobi.

AN: Thank you to everyone who reviewed! We are so pleased people like the story. We are trying for a weekly update. We fell a little behind so the next chapter should be posted on Friday to make up for it. Don't forget to review!

* * *

**Demon Coaches, Preggo Barbies, and Latin Satans**

I got to school early. I had walked. There were hardly any cars in the parking lot. Not that it really mattered to me anymore. I could have slept for another half hour. But I had to walk. Curse Karofsky and his cave dwelling brethren.

There was another reason I was here so early. I walked into the lobby and through the double doors of the left side. These were the Administration offices. I looked to the right and to the left. No Raspberry to smile at her success in my compliance of her suggestion. No Hairdo waiting to fit me in a ruffle-ly hoop skirt to sing _Bye Bye Birdie_. It looked safe.

"Can I help you?" A perky 50-year-old asked from behind a long desk.

"Maybe" I smiled "I started here last week. And my locker won't open. I was hoping you'd check the combination I have against the one in your records." I reached into my bag for the paper with the combo on it.

"Sure" she grinned. She took the paper gave me a 'just a moment,' and went to a row of filing cabinets. She opened one rifled around a bit and came out with a sheet of paper.

"It looks like someone copied the wrong combination" the admin lady giggled. It was probably the red head during a bout of nervousness. She took a sticky note and wrote on it.

She walked back to me and handed the note to me. "Here you are. It should work now. I can imagine your frustration. If it still doesn't work, please don't hesitate to come straight back here so we can figure something else out." She gave me another smile. Yeah, sure and insult the admin lady, keeper of the records? Not a chance.

I was trying this thing where I think positively. So, my locker _will_ open.

"Thanks." I walked out of the office and down the hall to my locker. The hallway was empty still. I held my breath as I spun the new combination. Please work...

It worked! I resisted the urge to do a 'happy dance.' Hairdo or Raspberry would probably see me. I did spot Puck ambling down the hall to the lockers. I slammed the locker door closed and opened it again just because I could.

"Hey Killer, how was your weekend?" Puck opened his locker.

"Fantastic" I smiled wiggling my locker door so he would see it. When he didn't remove his head from his locker, I got over it and put my book bag in my locker. I didn't need it first period. "I spent the whole time arguing about my punishment."

"Which was?"

"The Glee Club thing mostly." Who is punished by forcing them to join a club? Seriously.

"It's not that bad."

"Says you. And Spike took away my car until I can 'prove I'm civilized.' I mean I'm from LA. I used to walking everywhere. So that's not a big deal but still- he took my car."

* * *

"You're Bobi?" some blonde cheerleader wandered up to me at lunch.

"Yeah, why?" I took my last bite of mystery meat.

The cheerleader smiled broadly before glancing down at her hand "Coach Sylvester wants to talk to you." Cheer Barbie looked a little dazed but smiled. Job accomplished.

Great. Just the person I wanted to talk to. "Okay?" I stood "And you're what her carrier pigeon?"

"Huh?" she looked really confused. I didn't think anyone was home. "She gets mad if you keep her waiting," she whispered before walking away.

Coach 'Tude had a time when she wasn't mad. Interesting.

* * *

I didn't go see Sylvester right away. I waited until after Spanish when I had a free period. I figured missing a class where I had the potential of learning something wasn't civilized. And I especially didn't want to get tagged by Spike again. He would probably make me join the cheerleading squad out of spite. I slept through study hall anyway.

"You wanted to see me?" I said from the doorway.

"About an hour ago. Sit."

"I had class." I answered as I sat down.

"If I had my way you would have been expelled" she started. Here we go, more pointless lecturing from a glorified pom-pom coach. "As it happens you're still here. And in that club full of Darth Vader breathers."

God. Please don't remind me. "I have eyes on you at all times. This little stunt you pulled by not meeting me right away has not helped your cause any."

"I'm still trying to figure out what sort of authority you think you have. You're a cheerleading coach. As far as I know, you don't even teach anything. Seeing as how I'm not on the cheerleading squad, why do you even care what I do?" I shot back. I think I've been pretty patient with the bitch. But my patience is starting to wear down.

"I see fit to look into anything that poses a threat to the natural order of things here," she was getting mad now. "You have done that. So, I'm 'doggin' you' as your kind would say. "

Okay, pissed now. "Hey!"

I was cut off. "I don't want to hear about how you Dad was never there, and you Mom was a crack addict-"

That bitch. I am beyond pissed. She was going to be madder, but if I stayed there a second longer, I was definitely going to get expelled. I was at the door when I said, "You don't know a damn thing about me."

* * *

Puck sat in his car. He may have been attending more classes to work on getting in Bobi's pants but it wasn't going to be a thing. Puck did a reputation.

AHH

A scream rent the air. Puck got out of his truck. Bobi? Another scream drifted over to him. The football field. Bobi was pacing long ways on the bleachers. When she reached the end of a section, she turned around and went back. Every once and awhile, Bobi would wave her hands, punch the air or let out a screech.

Puck sat down on the bleachers. Sometimes if you waited long enough the crazy just drained right out of girls. Just have to be patient.

Bobi came stomping back down the bleachers towards him. "That-that-BLOATED PROTIEN SHAKE thinks she knows everything about me, about my life? She knows nothing! NOTHING!"

Puck stared at Bobi for second, "Ya done?"

* * *

I missed study hall completely. I had just unloaded on Puck. My friend- this stalker guy simply told me everything was going to be okay.

I snorted rushing down the hallway to my locker. Nothing would ever be okay.

I felt confident that I could sit through my final class without breaking down again. Then there was Glee. Fuck.

Man, this sucks. I hate being here like this. Why did I have to be here again? That's right, get in three measly fights and you land here. In Glee Club. What happened to in-school suspension? It's a time-honored classic but no, I have to learn to get along with other children.

At least I wasn't angry anymore, except two people I've never talked to before look as if they want to wear my intestines as a belt. This was just not my day.

I turn to what's his face. I've met him. Damn. Gurt, Burt, Murt. Fuck, I know this-think.

Kurt! "Why am I getting death glares from the Latin Thunder and Preggo Barbie?"

"Santana has this thing where Puck can't be with anyone else even though he's not technically with her." Kurt shook his head "Puck is Quinn's baby daddy."

"Oh" I didn't know that. "They think I'm trying to get up on that?"

Puck let out a loud belch. Kurt made a face. "Why would you want to?"

"I don't," I shifted around so I wouldn't have to look in their direction "he's just like…my stalker person"

"Wish I had a tall, dark stalker"

"Want mine?" Didn't want to deal with that drama anyway.

"Aww, honey, if I could."

Schuester walked in and clapped his hands, "Alright, who's next? Bobi?"

Oh, hell no. I opened my mouth to tell him when I was interrupted.

"Mr. Schuester, can she even sing?" asked Santana

"No, I can't. Kick me out"

"Come on Bobi, you can do this" Mr. Schuester gestured to floor in front of the piano. "Let's see whatcha got!"

"I don't sing."

"You sing in your car" Puck said, "I've seen you"

"Stalker" I punched him in the shoulder for narcing as I stomped down the risers. We're all just friends. Nothing to see here. I stopped in front of Schuester keeping my voice low, "Even if I did sing in public, I don't know what I would sing. I didn't grow up in a neighborhood where singing was really appropriate."

"You must know one song. _Happy Birthday, Row Your Boat, Amazing Grace_?" Make a note: Rachel Berry has bat-like hearing.

"Is that what you sang? _Happy Birthday_?"

"No, I sang _On My Own_"

"From _Les Mis_?" What I know shit? "I stole a car once with the soundtrack in the player. Awesome sound system, terrible music"

The sound system had fed the crew for a month. I shook my head to rid myself of the memories. Now, wasn't the time to fall back.

"If she can't sing then why is she here?" Quinn made a face, "she starts fights."

"Extortion."

The Hairdo burned red and turned to the piano guy. "How about _Amazing Grace_?" Images of Gunn's funeral pyre flitted through my head.

"Yeah, how 'bout no?" I leaned over and grabbed my bag. Glee Club, my ass.

I heard Finn whisper to Artie, "what's extortion?" as the choir door closed.

* * *

I smiled, as my locker opened with ease. Ha, ha! Take that locker!

A tan arm came out and blocked a left exit. I stopped fiddling around in my locker. This would be happening now. I just wish it could have waited until after I could have a nice 'what the frack' conversation with Stalker.

"What do you think you're doing, new girl?" accused Latina Satan. This chica meant business.

"Uh, getting my Spanish book." I respond. Better a wise- ass, than taking this shit lying down.

"Don't even, bitch." she spat, "With Puck" No beating around the bush with this one.

Hmm, let's see if she can get even _more_ pissed? Game on!

"You know, you should really try to incorporate more pronouns into your empty threats," I quip. If Latin Thunder were a cartoon character, she would be tomato colored by now.

"Shut up" she flipped her ponytail at me. "So Puck?"

I went back to switching my books. I put my biology textbook in its place on the shelf and grabbed my Spanish text. I snag the appropriate notebook. All the while, she was getting closer to her boiling point. About thirty seconds pass, I haven't said a word.

She was the one that told me to 'shut up.'

"I want an answer, bitch" she growled, steam coming out of her ears. Okay, this had been fun until she started calling me names.

"YOU told ME to shut up" I replied, "can't have it both ways, esé," Not often I meet another Latina who affords such a title.

RING!

The bell rang ending the grace period. That's my cue; I closed my locker and started making my way home.

"Where the HELL do you think your going, Miss Thang? You still haven't told me what the hell you're doing with Puck." Santana rushed to stand in front of me, "I see him staring at you, having whispered conversations." She leaned in, "Puck is mine. Stay away bitch" Country girls really shouldn't try to act ghetto it just don't work. She continued following me. Whatever.

"Okay esé, let's get a few things straight," We dodged some students running to meet their ride home, "One: Don't call me 'bitch.' Two: _Puck_ and I have never had any 'whispered conversations.' Three: _You're_ delusional. Four: As far as I can tell, you aren't even on his radar. He bugs me because I'm shiny and new. Plus, he knocked up Preggo Barbie. As far as I can tell, he doesn't give two tacos for you. So I don't know where you get this 'Mine' thing from." And now I'm mad. Again. Fuck.

* * *

SLAM

I walked into the kitchen, threw my bag into a chair, and sat down.

Andrew brought me a dish. Chocolate soufflé.

Yum. "So how'd it go?"

"Two chicks glared at me the whole time I was there" I took a bite and swallowed. "The whole 10 minutes before I stormed out." I took another bite.

"Spike's gonna be mad." Andrew started to look worried.

I swallowed. "Hey, I went and tried. That's all I promised." Spike can be whatever he wants to be. If he doesn't like it, tough shit.

"But are you going tomorrow?" He took my dish to the sink.

"That's the deal. Ain't it?" I grabbed my bag. May as well start before Spike comes to yell at me.


	8. Face Paint and Frilly Pink Underwear

DISCLAIMER: Angel/Buffy type people belong to Joss Whedon, Glee type people belong to Ryan Murphy and Co., and Bobi belongs to us. There is no owning of anything. Except for Bobi.

AN: Here's the new chapter as promised. Enjoy! Please remember to review

* * *

**Face Paint and Frilly Pink Underwear**

I was running a little late. Andrew had hogged the bathroom this morning. It's like he forgot that some people actually have to go to school. I just told him to sit on rocks.

I walked past the dumpster on the way into the building. When I heard grunting coming from said dumpster. I cautiously approached the offending dumpster and peeked inside. "What's up, Kurt?"

"I smell like yesterday's lunch."

"Yea, that's what happens when you-lay in a dumpster."

"It's not like I jumped in here to take a nap," he snapped at me.

"Right" I offered a hand. I pulled Kurt out and onto the ground.

"So, Bobi," he said after catching a glance at my feet. "No Choos, today?"

"How does everyone know my name?" I hadn't introduced myself to him. "I haven't told anyone." I guess the teachers would know, that's it. We started walking into towards the doors.

"One of the students has a blog. Like, everyone reads it. And the little creep knows everything about everyone. Seriously, he's like the Perez Hilton of Lima, Ohio."

We parted ways in the lobby. I headed toward my locker. He went wherever he goes.

* * *

"Girl, algebra, trigonometry can never equal up to what you do to me." Puck took his seat.

"Seriously. That's what you're going with?" I un-shouldered my book bag setting it on the floor "That's right up there with 'If I could rearrange the alphabet I'd put U and I together'" I said bending down to get my algebra things from my book bag. Puck took in the view. Shit. The skirt.

"Blue lace, huh?" He was watching me as I sat in my seat and crossed my legs.

"Can't wear skulls every day, perv-" I was going to say more, but I was interrupted by the words that send high schoolers across the world into a panic.

"Alright people, pop quiz! You did so well on your last bit of homework. I decided to reward you with a quiz." Yes because the sarcasm makes everything so much better. "It was so great I expect you've stopped trying."

"Damn this sucks." Puck commiserated, "How is this supposed to make my grade _better_? I failed the homework when I _had_ my book."

"Right! Should be illegal. Torture or child abuse. The fucker." I said as I received mine.

"No talking!" Mr. Fisher looked around the room quieting all of the mumbling.

* * *

"Espera, por favor, Bobi," said Schue after Spanish.

"Que tal?" I responded once at the front of the classroom.

"Hey I heard about your cousin," Mr. Schuester came at me with pity

"Yeah," I rolled my eyes, "crying shame."

"So, I wanted to make you an offer." He ignored my sarcasm.

Oh boy, I didn't think I wanted to know. "An offer?"

"I understand your hesitation to participate, in Glee, at this point in time. This isn't a perfect arrangement; but I think that it could be good for you." Hairdo smiled wide. He was getting excited about his idea. "Being around kids your age, just being kids. Which brings me to my offer; I want to start working one on one with you Thursday's right after school"

He was kidding, right? "Those 'kids' aren't just kids. You know that, right? According to the caste system here, they're outcasts and freaks. No amount of face paint and frilly pink underwear is going to change that."

"If you are going to be remaining; which according to your agreement, you are. You are going to have to make some sort of effort." Mr. Schuester wasn't playing now.

"Fine." I bite out. I walked to the door. "Thursday at 3:05?" I huffed and walked out, not caring to hear his reply. Now, I have to see Ms. Pillsbury, The Tattler.

* * *

I slammed into Miss Pillsbury's office and made her jump.

"You told him" I accused her, "You fucking told him and now it sucks"

"What sucks?" queried Miss P.

"Everything!" I said and the door closed again. I still had to make it to class. I didn't want to be friends with these people. I wanted to do my time and leave. I wanted everything to be normal. And this place? So, far from normal it wasn't funny anymore. This was like Pleasantville. Everything was black and white, good or bad, wrong or right. They didn't know. They had no idea what was out there in the real world.

Schuester thought he understood what it was like to lose Gunn-them. They understood nothing.

* * *

I was in the middle of my algebra homework, in study hall, when a teacher's aide brought a note to Ms. Castle.

"Ms. Gunn," she slurred, "Coach Sylvester wants to see you in her office."

I dreaded this. I slowly gathered my things and made my way to her desk. I grabbed the note and meandered down the halls to the coach's office.

I walked in and plopped into a seat. I tried mentally to prepare myself for the inevitable.

"You stormed out yesterday before I could finish, Roberta." She took a drink of what appeared to be a protein shake.

"So you decided to torture me again today." Fantastic.

"Where was I? Oh yes, I don't care what kind of background you had. Your parents were never there. You started pushing crack when you were ten. Boo hoo, the 'hood' was hard. I have lymphoma. That's hard." What the fucking hell? She'd said like 15 offensive things.

"First of all, what the hell do you know about 'the hood'? You live in butt fuck, Ohio. The only things you know about the 'hood' you get from rap songs and movies. Second, I don't remember you in my childhood. This leads me to believe you don't know a damn thing about my parents or my past. I have also never dealt or partook in crack. Finally, I find that your comparing non-cancerous lymphoma to life of the streets offensive."

That's right; I told Coach 'Tude off and only swore like twice. Take that Spike, I'll show _you_ civilized.

"I don't care what you think is offensive. I think you breathing is offensive. Leave. Your face makes me want to poke my eyes out." Fine. Bitch. I had other things to worry about.

* * *

"Hey, we need to talk," I said from my locker. This had been a long day and it was about to get longer. I needed to have this talk with Puck though. I couldn't go on like this. I had so many teachers and authority figures up my ass about things; I can't take the girls who think I'm after their boyfriends too.

"What, you pregnant and need to shack up?" he responded, walking in my direction.

"What?" I asked confused. I shook my head and forged on, "No, you need to call off your blood hound before she makes me do something silly." I stepped in with him. We are both going to the same place after all. My own personal Hell. Joy of joys.

"Who?" he said, clearly confused, and turned his head in my direction.

"I don't know- Latin Thunder." Really, I needed to work on the whole names thing. Might be helpful.

He raised an eyebrow, "What exactly qualifies as 'something silly?' Might let you two have it out if it will amuse me."

"Oh I don't know. Steal into her house and cut all her cheerleading outfits while she sleeps. People tend to do things with slushies other than drink them, that might be fun. Or I could…"

"Okay I get the point, and while it would be fun to see Santana with no Cheerios uniforms, I don't think she has anything else to wear. You don't want to deal with that wrath. Plus, it'd piss Coach Sylvester off. I'll talk to her, see what I can do."

I stopped walking, grabbed his arm, and said, "Wait, they're called 'Cheerios." I made a little fuss. We are closing in on the choir room and I was stalling.

"Yeah," He said, chuckling a little.

We started walking again, damn didn't last as long as I hoped, "As in, eat a bowl of _Honey Nut_ _Cheerios_ a day and lower your cholesterol?" He nodded. "Well doesn't that name just instill fear into the hearts of millions? Making America healthier one breakfast at a time."

We both laughed as we walked into the choir room. I stopped and asked, "Seriously though, what's the deal with her anyway?"

"We dated awhile at the beginning of the year. She broke up with me. I moved on and she expected me to moon over her. She never really got over it; and really who would get over this?" He shrugged and sat down between two other guys, didn't know their names, they hung out with Puck a lot though.

"That's real classy, man." I said from my spot right inside the door, still trying to decide if I really wanted to do this.

"What can I say I'm a classy guy." Puck said, just when Schue made his entrance. Crap, I'm stuck now.

"Uh-huh."

"Bobi, please promise me you will try to stay for more than an hour this time." Mr. Schuester walked me to my seat. "I know that you aren't down with glee club but its fun. There are other students in here. Who knows maybe you will make a friend?"

He was way too excited for this.

"Okay, warm-ups!"

* * *

Schuester had stepped out. His hair had started to fall. Okay, not really, but I had breezed out when he had started in on another 'we can beat Vocal Adrenaline if we try really, really hard' speech.

Rachel started in reorganizing the group for the number 'we' were performing. I moved to the back of the room. I reached into my pocket to activate my iPod and ignoring whatever Rachel Berry wanted.

Two random guys plopped down on either side of me.

"Hey" The African American pointed at himself then his Asian friend, "Matt, Mike"

Mike plucked my iPod out of my hand and started scrolling through it. "What are you doing?"

"Getting to know you better" He smiled widely at me.

"Yeah, a person's iPod is like looking into the true inner self" Matt added. He reached over me and snagged it out of Mike's hands.

"Are you an emo person? Are you a romantic? Do you secretly wish you were a vampire?"

I snatched my music back from Matt. "None of your business" Vampire my ass, as if I would listen to the Sex Pistols.

"Michael, Matthew, if you would please stand over here" Raspberry called. They got into position making funny faces at Rachel's back. I snorted at their antics and returned to my music.

My peace lasted exactly long enough for Rachel to realize I was sitting with my eyes closed. I felt her annoying presence. It poured itself over my mood. I wasn't as pissed at her but I wasn't ready yet though to deal with her.

Knowing it was a mistake, I opened my eyes, "What?"

"Come on" Raspberry wheedled, "Glee is fun. We get to sing and dance together"

"No" I responded flatly. I closed my eyes and turned the volume up on my iPod. I could still hear Rachel twitter on in the background but I didn't want to turn up my music any more. She might get the hint and start in on a lecture about ruining my hearing. "Ohmigawd, Raspberry, I will do whatever you want if you just stop talking!"

"Excellent" she crowed, "now…" She started to explain the routine as I stood up. Yeah, this wasn't going to happen. I walked over to the starting position she pointed to-fairly close to the door- and didn't stop. "Hey, wait!"

"Yeah, that, right there" I gestured to the room she had just circled twice, "that wasn't you not talking. That was you talking MORE. I'm outie."

"But-but" she sputtered. Whatever, my deal was complete for the day. I showed up, I stayed for more than an hour, and I didn't get unnecessarily violent with anyone. The townspeople danced in celebration.

* * *

"Hey Sexy," Puck stopped where I had situated myself on a ledge outside the school entrance.

"Stalker," I put away my iPod and my history homework.

"You keep walking out of practice you'll give Berry competition as most dramatic Glee Clubber" He leaned against the wall.

"I'm not dramatic, just easily aggravated." I hopped down to stand next to Puck.

"Why you still here? Outside. It's cold." He zipped my jacket. He smelled like boy and trouble.

"Don't know. Didn't want to go home, yet. I was doing homework" I shrugged. I took a step back. I wasn't so cold anymore.

"You still walking?" He picked up my book bag and started for the parking lot. "Want a ride?"

I stood there confused. After a few seconds, I ran a few steps to catch up. "Thanks." He nodded as he threw my bag into the backseat of his pick-up. I jumped in and buckled up. Seconds later, we were screeching out of the parking lot.

* * *

Andrew had just taken my dinner dish to the sink when Spike came into the kitchen. "How'd it go?"

"What? School, Glee. Life in general?" I moved to the living room.

Spike followed. "All a'em. Start with school. Get in any fights?" I turned on the TV.

"No." I started to surf the channels. We weren't going to do this. We weren't a happy family. He didn't care.

"How was Glee club?" Spike joined me on the couch. Apparently, he couldn't take a hint.

"Fine." My text ring sounded, Mike. I typed back. _How did you get this number?_

"Life in general?" Spike took up the remote. I looked up at him. His gaze was focused on the TV. He didn't really want to know, did he?

"Umm, there's a coach who hates me because I breathe." I started to list off "There's a chick who hates me because I talk to some guy. And another guy hates me because I talk to a different guy, who happens to be gay." Spike laughed at the TV. "So, fine, I guess." I wondered if he had even been listening to me.

My answer came with, "How did you get home? Last, I heard, you were still at school. It wasn't 10 minutes after that you got back to the house." Guess not. Spike moved on to other questions. My text rang again. _My man Puck_

I started typing to Mike, "Uh, someone in Glee dropped me off." I started to get annoyed with this conversation. It was just him making sure I wasn't causing trouble. He didn't really care just as long as I became civilized and normal. _Tell him to find another branch._

"Really? Making friends?"

"I guess." My phone sounded again. _Me thinks the lady doth protest too much. William Shakespeare_

"That's good. What kind of person is it? She nice? Nice and normal? Maybe she'll rub off?"

I typed a reply, "One can only hope" _I__ know karate. Steven Segal_

"Nice talking to you." Spike snarled. "You know, I don't need the attitude" Must of finally caught on to my triteness. Bully for him.

"Yep. You too." Spike had commandeered the telly, so I went to my room. I didn't need the lip service.


	9. Fried Tacos and Tarnished Trophies

DISCLAIMER: Angel/Buffy type people belong to Joss Whedon, Bobi belongs to us. There is no owning of anything. Except for Bobi.

AN: We want to thank everybody for their patience. Real life got away from us. There is going to be another delay in posting for the next chapter. The chapter is written we are just fine tuning. I'm not going to promise anything but the next chapter should be up in the next couple of weeks.

Don't forget to review!

* * *

**Fried Tacos and Tarnished Trophies**

At school on Thursday, I saw Rachel Berry following Puck around like an angry swarm of pink bees. She had tried three times in the past day to entice me to participate in Glee. I had brushed her off, told her off, and ignored her with limited success. It looked like it was Puck's turn.

Ha, ha Puckerman, ha ha. I smiled into my locker. It serves him right for living in the same town as the Raspberry, the Wonder Fruit.

"Yo, home slice"

"Stalker" I greeted, "trying to win sluttiest slut in the world again"

"What?"

I nodded to Rachel fuming at the end of the hallway. "What'd ya do to piss her off?"

"I don't know but Berry's got her crazy all backed up and focused on you being a 'team player'"

"Do you even know what that means?" I slammed my locker and started down the hallway, "'team player'"

Puck looked confused, "Isn't that where you're part of a team and you - do shit together"

"You were going to say 'and reach for a common goal,' weren't you?" I laughed stopping opposite my next class. Puck rubbed his head in frustration.

"Look, just come to Glee"

"Oh, I'm coming to Glee. If only to watch Rachel lead you around by the short hairs"

"Follow me," A voice that made me want to punch something demanded.

"Why? I haven't done anything?" I started walking behind the tracksuit-clad coach anyway.

"Because I said so." Every teenager in the world hates this phrase. It translates to 'I'm older than you so there.'

"Why? Are you going to yell at me for being a Black Hispanic again?"

"You're black and Hispanic? That's just rotten luck, huh?"

"I don't think so. I'm comfortable with who I am and where I've come from."

"Yes. A city in shambles. And what do you even eat? Fried tacos?"

"Look-"

"I don't want to hear it-"

"No, I don't want to hear it. You've bullied and mocked me since I started here and I'm sick of it. I don't know if you're racist or you just don't like me. But I'm a person and you can't keep talking to me like this."

"I can talk to you however I please. I practically run this school."

"Sure," I said on my way out the door. I stormed down the hall to my locker. I gave it a punch. Puck was looking at me.

"I swear if that WALKING TRACK SUIT calls me into her office one more time," I threatened. "I'm gonna tarnish one of her trophies" I finished in a rush.

Puck raised an eyebrow.

"She won't know which one either. The room will just feel off. It'll drive her insane."

"She still hassling you?"

"No, we have tea and crumpets while talking about sunshine and fuzzy animals."

"Want me to beat her up?"

"Thanks, but no. Not yet, I think I'm going to do the trophy thing. And maybe slip laxatives into her protein shakes."

* * *

I paid attention long enough yesterday to gather that we were to meet in the auditorium for practice today. I got there and the clowns were assembled in their 'GaGa' garb. But the boys weren't there yet.

Rachel wasn't there either. Probably hiding in shame. I mean all the 'costumes' are ridiculous but hers was too insane to express. Then Raspberry strutted in.

Wow. She was wearing a black dress with geometric shapes and sunglasses. She looked 'normal.' Well, as normal as Lady GaGa can get.

"Now that we're all assembled. Let's get started." Schue looked too energized for this.

The stage lit up and the curtains rose. Revealing the boys in all their spandex and face painted glory. They started singing 'Shout It Out Loud,' by KISS. I wasn't expecting this. Puck seemed so normal. I didn't know how to feel about this. There was disbelief and shock. Laughter bubbled up from nowhere as a reaction to the show.

I was carefully sitting on the barrier between the front and back sections. I was wearing another dress and I didn't want to flash anyone. The guys were doing a decent job. I clapped along with the others. They put way more thought into the assignment than I would have.

A silver body dropped down and perched next to me on the concrete. "So, are you going to sing today too?"

I glanced at Kurt. "Not if I have to wear spandex, Beanie Babies, or clear balls."

"We're just expressing ourselves."

"You're gonna 'express' yourself right into the dumpster."

"I can handle it."

"Sure you can, for now. It's gonna get harder. People like Karofsky don't like different or as you say, 'expression.' They like things that fit into their nice pretty box, labeled, 'Normal.'"

"It's fine." The music finished ending our conversation for now. He was trying to make the situation okay, normal. This was too important; I wasn't going to let it go. He needed to understand.

"So you say." I hopped down and applauded.

* * *

Schuester had dismissed the Glee club until tomorrow. Band students appeared to start moving the equipment the guys had used off the stage. "What the hell was that?"

The guys were congratulating each other on a great performance. "What?"

Mike waddled over on his studded boots to give me a hug. "Did you see it? It was awesome!"

"Yeah, awesome" I tried to end the hug fast. I don't do touchy-feely especially when the guy is dressed up like a KISS member.

"How come you don't sound as excited as us?" Matt observed removing his platforms.

"Yeah" Puck agreed, "We rocked it like Sprocket"

"No, I mean yeah you rocked it" I paused thinking how I wanted to put this "but where did that come from? I mean that was a show"

"Yeah it was" Finn was struggling out of his own costume.

"Puck doesn't do half ass"

"Yes, he does" I turned back to Puck finger combing out his wig. "Puck does half ass all the time. This was - something else"

"Something awesome!" Mike exclaimed still fully garb-ed "Come on, how much did we rock?" He tried to dance a little but his boots weren't as giving as sneakers. Mike stumbled a little almost taking down a stage person hauling an amp offstage.

"I think it's time to get out of these shoes" Artie steadied Mike from his chair. Puck waited for the rest of the guys to move before following. I moved closer to him.

"That was new," I said "seriously"

"You didn't like it?" he had started to unbuckle himself.

"No, I did" I stopped Puck with a hand on his arm "but that wasn't you. I mean really. You're just doing this for the grade, right? You just don't seem like the kind of person who likes this kind of thing."

Puck shrugged "It's like being part of a team."

"Is throwing nerds into the dumpster a team sport?"

"Hey, don't knock it until you've tried it" Puck continued down the hallway to the boys' locker room.

Yeah right. Sound advice from a guy dressed as a member of KISS. Puck was crazy. I was being punished. I was being forced to join. I was being forced to be a part of something. I had done that. I had a team, a crew. They died.

* * *

"Hi, Bobi. I was afraid you weren't coming."

"Don't have much of a choice, do I?" I snapped. I sighed. Schue was trying to help. He didn't do this on purpose. "I went to the choir room," I offered going for contrite.

"Yea, I would have told you we were in here, but you kind of stormed off."

"Yeah, I do that. Why are they here I thought this was supposed to be you and me?" I said gesturing at the jazz band.

"They are here to give you back-up, tell them what you want to sing and they will do the music part."

"Really? What if they don't know the song?"

"I bet they know the song" he shared a smile with the band.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because you are a member of the Glee Club, for whatever reason. Glee Club is about expressing the emotions inside." He smiled kindly, "and you need to start pulling your weight."

"That really wasn't what I was asking."

"You have gone through a lot and you feel alone. There are people out there who can relate, maybe not to everything, but enough…"

"And for some reason you think those people are Glee Club members?"

"Yes, I also think that singing could help you express everything you are keeping bottled up."

"Yea, okay."

"You're skeptical now, but at least try it, before you totally throw the possibility out."

"Fine," I walked over to the band. In a hushed voice, I made my request.

Still doubtful, I hear the intro. I was transported back in time. I'm standing in Miss Stella's living room. Gunn and the crew are hanging out. It's hot, almost stifling because Miss Stella's husband drinks all the daycare money away so they can't afford an air conditioner. Several fans are trying to make the most of the still air in the room. It had been a good day. There is a grill in the front yard. People are stopping by gossiping for a bit before moving on. Miss Stella's radio is on. Billie Holiday crooned softly around the atmosphere. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as I start to sing:

"_Lady sings the blues_

_She tells her side_

_Nothing to hide_

_Now the world will know _

_Just what the blues is all about_

_The blues aint nothin' but a pain in your heart_

_When you get a bad start_

_When you and your man have to part_

_I aint gonna just_

_Sit around and cry_

_And now I know I wont die _

_Because I love him_"

The music keeps going, but the lump in my throat makes it impossible for me to continue. I wipe the tears from my eyes angrily, as the music stops. I could still feel the heavy air of Miss Stella's. I wasn't there. I could never go back. And I didn't want to. I was safe in Lima. Protected, I didn't have to save anyone. I could be 16. I could fall in love, have a boyfriend. I could have friends and not worry they would be eaten. And it was okay. For a brief second, it was okay.

Mr. Schuester has tears in his eyes too. Great. "That was lovely."

I whisper a "Thanks" running from the stage. When I get to the stage door, I see a fuzzy pink blob. I plowed it over in my escape. Damn Schuester. Manipulating me to sing and get emotional. It should never be okay.

* * *

Illyria found me at the park. I watched the sun set from the swings. Families with children had left hours ago to share a meal. Even the rebellious teenagers had been called home.

"The vampire is worried" No one was around Illyria could be herself, "he refused to stop bleating until you were found."

I sat there. I didn't want to move. I had finally reached a place in my mind where the pain wasn't so heart retching and I didn't want spiral down again. Illyria stood guard as the sun sunk behind the trees. "The police arrive soon"

I turned weary eyes on the Old One. She was right; it was time to go. I took a big breath.

* * *

Spike was sitting in the kitchen staring into a cup of tea. He stood up when he noticed gripping my shoulders "What do you think you were doing, duckie?"

I hung my head. I refused to let the tears fall. "I had a thing with Glee" I refused to let him see.

"A phone call would have been nice, is all" Spike rubbed the back of his neck. "Andrew was all in a tizzy"

"Yeah, Andrew." I shook my head not looking at him. Why wouldn't he admit it? Why was I here with them if they didn't want me? My shoulders started to shake. I didn't want to forget. The tears I thought had finished washed over me again. I didn't want to be left alone again.

"Spike!" Andrew gasped, "What did you do? Fix it"

Cold strong arms encircled me, grounding me. Cigarettes, blood, and the smell of vampire invaded my nose. Spike. I held on for dear life.

* * *

AN: The song Bobi sings is _Lady Sings the Blues_ by Billie Holiday


	10. Pink Elephants and the Chronic Lady

DISCLAIMER: Angel/Buffy type people belong to Joss Whedon, Glee type people belong to Ryan Murphy and Co., and Bobi belongs to us. There is no owning of anything. Except for Bobi.

AN: Please Review. Seriously guys, we're fading here. Some positive encouragement or even a "you've beat this idea like a dead horse" comment would be nice.

* * *

**Pink Elephants and the Chronic Lady**

Mr. Schuester pulled me aside as I entered the choir room. "How are you?"

"Peachy."

"Really? You went to a place yesterday and ran off before we could process it."

"I processed it yesterday. Trust me; I spent quite a bit of time 'processing' it. Their deaths hurt and it always will. Singing isn't going to fix that. But thanks, Mr. Schue."

"In time it won't hurt so much" Schue put an arm around me turning us to face the classroom, "Until then you've got 13 people in this room willing to listen if you ever need to talk."

I nodded. Sure. I had shared something I'll Schue that but he was insane if he thought I would do the same with anyone else. I'm not like the others.

* * *

I plopped into my now official spot in the back row. With the guys, Matt on one side Puck on the other with Mike on Puck's other side.

I was going through my book bag searching for my iPod. I couldn't get through rehearsals without it, especially today. I didn't want to think about it anymore. I wanted all emotions to just go away.

I was interrupted in my rifling by a soft hand on mine, "Gonna wanna pay attention in a bit, babe, I'm- _we're_ going to sing."

I shrugged, confused, "Okay, don't 'we' do that every day?"

"Not everyone, just the guys." Puck, Matt, and Mike stood.

I blinked. Didn't they sing yesterday? "What are you going to sing?"

"'Beth,' by KISS. It's for Quinn." He started to walk to the front of the room.

"That's my favorite KISS song." I blurted out. Okay, where did that come from?

He turned and raised an eyebrow, "You know enough KISS to have a favorite?"

"Spike made me listen to it on the drive from LA" I rolled my eyes. "Said I needed to be cultured"

He smiled a little. My heart jumped. All of the guys settled in front of the piano and started to sing.

I listened to Puck and the guys sing. It was sweet and lilting. So different from the other song. I didn't know they could do that. He didn't look up from Quinn. He sang to her and only her. They were the only two in the room.

I wasn't jealous. That's ridiculous. Quinn was carrying Puck's child. He should have feelings for her. And she should have feelings for him. They should be together even if she is giving up the baby. It only makes sense. We were friends. But I did miss it though. I missed that feeling. The innocence of knowing that there was someone out there for me. All I could see when I closed my eyes though was blood and gore. I wasn't going to put myself through that. Not again.

I couldn't bear to look at them anymore. I didn't want to know anymore. Wishing only made the pain hurt worse. I shook my head focusing on the wall over Mike's head. I just wanted things to be normal. I wanted to make Spike proud. I wanted Andrew not to get that sad look on his face anymore. I didn't want to be in this suffocating room anymore with Puck and his baby mama.

The thing is the only thing I could think of to make myself feel better was talking to Puck.

* * *

"Bobi, Bobi! Over here!" Matt and Mike were waving there arms like the dudes with the flashlights at airports. I almost didn't walk over. I didn't want to make friends anymore only to have them end up dead. _Too late_, a voice whispered sounding suspiciously like Spike/Gunn_. Go be normal for once._ I walked over and sat down at the table. One lunch couldn't hurt. They were good guys.

"Hey guys, what up?" I picked up my fork.

"We were just discussing the existence or non-existence of pink elephants." Mike took a drink of chocolate milk.

"And did you reach any sort of conclusion?" I ate some of whatever the lunch lady put on my tray. Chicken and noodles, I think. It looked more like something we found in a sewer once.

"I keep saying they aren't real. But Chang is insisting the contrary." Matt ate some of his food.

"Dude, I swear the last time I was at the zoo. They were there." Mike said after drinking some more milk.

"Ya need to stop seeing the 'Chronic Lady,' Mike." Puck said from behind me. He gave my shoulder a squeeze and sat down. I tried to play it cool. This heart flutter when he smiles isn't anything. I wasn't going to make the same mistake. Puck was just a guy, right? Right.

"Dude, I don't touch the stuff Ryerson gets. My dealer's so much better." Mike said. He finished his food.

"We gotta go talk to the coach about the B-17 Bomber." Matt said as he stood.

"What's that got to do with basketball?" I took a drink of my juice. "It's a plane." But they'd left already.

"It's a defensive play we just learned." Puck scooted closer and stole some of my food. Oh, that wasn't going to fly.

"Hey!" I stole some of his. Puck poked me in the side. I yelped "Don't do that." I slapped his hand away.

"Ticklish, Killer?"

I shrugged, "Maybe." He slid from the table and leaned over. Please tell me he didn't.

When he sat back up, I asked, "What was that?"

"I wanted to see what underwear you were wearing," and scooted back in took and bite, "Ya like Dr. Pepper, huh?"

"Today, anyway." I pushed my tray away done. It may not taste like it was from the sewer but my stomach couldn't handle the imagery anymore. "Hey, I have a question."

"That doesn't sound good" Puck grabbed for my tray. I had always known where I stood in the crew. We all had a place in our little world. I helped keep a look out in LA, but in Lima, things were muddled.

"I just think I need to know about you and Quinn." I didn't belong with Spike and Illyria. I didn't want to belong in the Glee Club, but Puck didn't really care about all that. Puck didn't care one way or the other it seemed who I was or what had happened. It was nice.

"Why?" He dug into my discarded tray. Because I think I'm falling for-Whoa, where did that come from? No, there would be no falling for anything. I just need to find out if there was a thing. Cause if there was a thing then I would deal with that.

"Because there's a thing."

"I care about her." He shrugged while he took the biggest bite of food known to man.

There had to be more to it than that, "She's having your baby. Of course, you have care for her. But what are you doing with those feelings?"

He swallowed, "Look, I thought I loved her. But she was my best friend's girl. They write songs about that shit. I ain't no deadbeat dad though. I'm going to take care of her." The bell rang. He grabbed both trays. "Both of them"

* * *

I was at my locker after lunch. I gave a quick look at my phone. A missed call, five minutes ago, Andrew. I took a quick look around the hall. No teachers. Or demon coaches.

I flipped it open and dialed. "BOBI. Is that you?"

"Yes. What's up?"

"I was _so_ worried when you didn't answer."

"Why? I'm at school. Can't always answer. Did you need something?" I saw something down the hall.

"I was told to call you. You're at school." Andrew fished around for something to say, "So how is it going? Is Glee fun yet?"

"It's fine. The guys sang a KISS song earlier." Quinn was pulling Puck off some cheerleader. "I have to go back after school."

"Sounds fun. You want cookies or rice krispies for a snack when you get home?"

"Um, Rice krispies." Quinn yanked Puck around by his jacket sleeve. She was strong for a pregnant chick.

"Kay, have a good day. See you at home."

"Bye." I hung up. I got my Spanish things and strolled past the couple on the way to class.

"Because your child wants chocolate, Puck. Just get the damn granola bar"

"Okay, preggers, calm your big butt down." Quinn started to hit Puck on his back and shoulders as he went to do her bidding.

That's right Bobi, Puck wasn't a deadbeat. He loved Quinn, I told myself. You're probably just the first girl who said no. A challenge for the hormonal boy. I shook my head. Spike wanted me to be normal, which meant friends, right? Puck was a friend, that's all there was.

* * *

"Now, that we know you can sing, are you going to participate?" Rachel Berry asked later in Glee. I was sitting in my chair. I'm sorry, what?

"How do 'we' know I can sing?" I stood angry. Deep breath, no need to resort to violence, yet.

"I saw you sing with Mr. Schuester yesterday. You were very good. Rough around the edges, but lots of soul." She looked a little worried. Probably because I had my jaw and hands clenched at my sides.

"That was private. Between me and Schue." I walked were she stood by the piano. "Raspberry, I want you to know something. I could kill you. No one would find the body." I was in her space now.

"What's going on here?" asked Schue as he came across the room to pull me away from Berry.

"I was just asking Bobi if she was going to participate today on account of she sang with you yesterday."

I growled at her. "Sit down, Bobi. Rachel that was a private thing between the two of us. Not meant to be shared-"

Schue started lecturing. I turned my iPod on. I was done with this. Raspberry wanted to invade my privacy? Fine, let's see if I ever do anything for her. I continued to rant to myself for a bit until the girl with the clear bubbles came in, bubble-less. Huh? What was going on? Where was Kurt? And the other guy? The stupid, tall one. Fish, Scale, nope, um-Finn.

Something wasn't right. I got up and walked out of the choir room.

When I got to the hall, I saw the Jacket King and his top minion shoving Kurt into a wall of windows. He said something but I wasn't close enough to hear.

I closed in, in time to hear the Black guy Mio or something say he was going to hit Kurt first.

"You're not hitting anyone," I said at the same time as a male voice does. I turned to see Finn wearing a red plastic dress. Huh. That's different.

"Oh my God." Kurt took in Finn's outfit.

"Is he wearing a red rubber dress or am I trippin'" First in Command asked

"I wanna thank you Kurt. You made me realize I got a lot to learn. The reason I'm here now in a shower curtain is because of you. And I'm not going to let anyone lay a hand on you."

"Me either. Didn't you douches learn your lessons last time?" I said as I took another step closer.

Karofsky scoffed, "Oh really dude cuz I'm pretty sure we can take both of you." I presumed he left out Kurt in his assessment of who would actually be fighting. Whatever, I was looking for a good fight. I started to bounce on the pads of my feet.

"Yeah but can you take all of us?" I heard Puck's voice say. The rest of Glee walked toward us.

"Ok I get it. I took Biology. We done disturbed the freak hive. The worker freaks trying to protect the queen freak" replied Minion Numero Uno.

"Next time we'll bring some friends too" Fucker with the Jacket said as he and his buddy left.

* * *

Schue came out from where ever he was hiding and started lecturing everyone about coming together and beating the other glee clubs at Regionals.

I wanted to talk to Kurt. He had to understand what just happened could have been prevented.

"You know there's nothing wrong with being yourself as long as you know how to protect yourself" I started once I reached him.

"Those goons are harmless" Kurt shrugged.

"Seemed like they got real close to harming that pretty mug of yours" I said as everyone started moving back toward the choir room.

"But they didn't" He looked longingly over at Finn. "Thanks by the way. Didn't really expect you to come to my rescue." But he expected Finn to rescue him? Another story for another day.

I flapped my hand in casual acceptance. "People aren't always going to be around to scare them off."

We stopped walking.

Kurt shrugged, "No, but it's worth a few bruises to know I'm better."

I looked him in the eyes. "It starts with bruises and ends with bodies in gutters, I know. You will always be better than them even if you learn to block a few punches." We started to walk again. This time in silence.

I didn't want him to get hurt. Kurt might not always be my cup of really brightly colored tea but I didn't want the innocence on his face to disappear altogether. He would have to get hard and mature faster than the others but Kurt should be able to keep that last shred of innocence. I had lost mine.

"You can teach me?"

"It won't be easy," I said honestly. We had reached the choir room door. Everyone else had started to resume his or her seats.

"Nothing ever is" he said and walked to his chair.

I walked past and said, "Don't I know it."

* * *

I sat down between Puck and Mike. Schuester was still lecturing. "We're coming together as a team. That's how we'll beat Vocal Adrenaline."

"What took you guys so long?" Puck whispered. The group was getting settled in seats on the risers.

"Nothing. We were just talking and got distracted" I shrugged.

"What do the two of you have to discuss?" Puck looked surprised.

"I wanted to know what kind of face wash he used" I lied. I didn't know how Kurt would feel about me telling people about our plans. He didn't need to know. None of you business stalker. Puck didn't need to know. Didn't need him mucking up this too. I didn't want him to see that side of me. Kurt needed protecting. Puck wouldn't be inclined to help.

"Oh, okay." Puck redirected his attention to Matt.

He had brought out a deck of cards and mouthed, "Texas Hold 'Em?"

"I'll deal," I said and grabbed the cards from his hand.


	11. Doing the Right Thing

DISCLAIMER: Angel/Buffy type people belong to Joss Whedon, Glee type people belong to Ryan Murphy and Co., and Bobi belongs to us. There is no owning of anything. Except for Bobi.

AN: Please Review. Reviews help warm us in the night. On that note, I would like to thank bonesandbooth4ever95 for the review. It made my day.

* * *

**Doing the Right Thing**

Puck was pulling me down the hall. He had ambushed me walking into the school.

"Where are we going?" I said trying to keep up. Puck hadn't let me stop at my locker.

"The auditorium"

"Why?" My bag was heavy.

"'Cause somethin's gonna happen?"

"Oh," You never want to run towards the bullets. Always away. "Do I have to be present?"

"Yes." We reached the auditorium doors. The rest of the club members were already assembled. An attractive curly headed guy was talking to Berry. The lights came on and music started. People sang and danced. They were good. I looked around at New Directions; dread and fear started to spread on their faces. I turned back around to the group performing. They weren't that good.

"Thanks for letting us use your auditorium. It's quaint" Bitch. The group walked off stage.

"I don't understand. Who was the dude with the hair? Who were all of them? Why were they here?" Do I care?

"That was Jesse St. James, my ex-boyfriend, and Vocal Adrenaline." Berry said as we marched sullenly down the hall to the choir room.

"Why were they here?" Raspberry had a boyfriend? Who would want to date her?

"It was a funkification." Mercedes offered.

"A funkifica-what?"

"It's when Vocal Adrenaline goes to its competition before a major performance and puts the opposing team into a funk" Artie put in.

"Did it work?" They weren't so scary.

"No" Puck said firmly from my side. He didn't seem as affected by the other glee club. Everyone was stopped at the door.

"How did they get in here?" I heard from the front of the group. Slowly everybody tried to fit in the choir room. Every surface was covered in toilet paper. Now, that just wasn't cool.

* * *

Quinn was down the hall walking to her locker. I can do this. Wait. Why was I doing this? Oh right, I am being normal and civilized. I was still getting glares.

Quinn was the only person that I had a chance of having an actual conversation with about Puck. A talk with Santana would devolve from the first syllable to a catfight. Finn would shuffle his feet and stammer something about basketball practice. Quinn was the object of Puck's affection. It was somewhat hard to tell by the way he treated her, but the way he sang _Beth_ and the way he talked about her at the lunch the other day was proof enough. He felt something.

I think she hates me. I don't want her to hate me. I had been thinking about this for days. I needed to talk to her. Puck isn't the most emotional available guy. He hadn't given me a lot of faith. I mean he says he's not going to be a deadbeat dad and then he's necking with some girl behind the bleachers after school. I needed to know for sure if there was a thing. Cause I think there is a thing. I didn't want to get in the way of that thing.

If she says, she loves Puck that's it no more Puck for me. I don't care what the stalker says. It's not as if he declared anything anyway. He was flirting. He was interested. And so was I.

Here goes nothing. Deep breath.

"Hi, Quinn?" She was in her locker. She riffled around, closed it, and turned.

"Yes?" I shuffled my feet nervously. I can't believe I'm doing this. This Spike's fault. Be civilized. Be normal. Normal teens don't confront a guy's baby mama.

I looked at my feet. "I, uh, wanted to ask you something about you and Puck."

We started walking. Hard to catch a moving target. She was moving in the direction of my next class so she couldn't escape me.

"There is no me and Puck. I'm living with him 'cause I don't have anywhere else," she sighed giving in.

"Okay?" That wasn't really what I was asking. I had heard the story. I understood nowhere else all too well. But that didn't answer my question. Damn, I was going to have to spell it out for her. "And your feelings for Puck?"

She stopped and faced me. "He's the father of my child. Nothing more." We walked again. There was a short silence. "Why?"

I had been asking myself that all weekend. "I'm trying to understand things better." This wasn't going nearly as hostile as I had thought.

"Puck is quite taken with you." She had noticed too. Guess I'll be having another chat with the Latin Satan.

We were now closing in on my classroom. "Uh-huh. I don't want to make waves. I honestly can't have anyone else around here pissed at me."

"Santana?" she guessed. Bingo.

Not to mention Karofsky Fucker and Coach Death. "Among others."

We stopped again at a corner. "Why don't you talk to Puck?"

"Yes. I did talk to Puck. He hasn't exactly inspired confidence" Puck just happened to be outside a classroom smiling at another girl as we walked up. "Case in point"

"Yeah. So you noticed that he'd say anything to get into your pants, huh?"

I nodded. "Wanted a less skewed version." We started walking again. I could handle horny Puck what I wanted to know was from a Puck I don't think he even knew existed. I wanted sensitive emotional Puck.

"Santana's gonna be pissed." Hell yea, she was.

We reached my classroom. I was feeling better about Quinn and me. She may be carrying Puck's love child but she wasn't so emotionally invested in Puck that she would try to take me out during a hormonal downswing.

"We've already had words. I'm sure we'll have more." I ducked into class.

* * *

Quinn jerked Puck over to a corner. "What?" he was getting tired of the cravings. Puck wondered how much longer until she dropped.

"Bobi talked to me today"

"Yeah people tend to do that" Tonya Gerber walked by just then. The redhead had stopped wearing a bra last week. Puck was in heaven.

"No, you obsessive panty stalker, Bobi had a talk with me today" Quinn jerked his face back towards her.

"Okay, so she talked with you"

"About you and me"

"There is no you and me" Puck smirk grew "unless you're ready for a second go around"

"Not if my life depended on it," Quinn growled at him "You need to talk to Bobi"

"Listen up after-school special, I don't like to hold myself down to one woman. You know that"

"Don't play with her. She has a thing for you"

"Baby, every girl has a thing for me"

Quinn laughed in his face, "Yeah but the difference is that you have a thing for her too"

Quinn walked off then. Bobi was at her locker. Puck had a thing for her? Like feelings? Puck shook his head. The pregnancy was getting to Quinn's pretty little head. The only thing Puck had for Bobi was the one thing she kept saying no to.

* * *

I grabbed my math things and closed my locker. I walked over to where Puck was standing at his locker.

"I'm dreading this" I started. We had a test next period.

"So we'll skip?"

"Can't, Spike would find out and kill me."

"Who would kill you?" Schue walked up to us.

"Spike would kill me for skipping class." I told him. I trusted Schue. He was a good guy. He had stood up for me with Rachel when she blurted out I got emotional over a song. I was more comfortable with telling him things than Miss Pillsbury. Sure, Schue wanted me to sing my grief out but he didn't press when I said no to talk about it.

"Your guardian? You call him Spike?"

"That's his name"

He looked like he wanted to say more about that but went with, "You shouldn't skip class"

"I know" Puck inched a little closer. I think he was trying offer up support but with him, he was probably trying to see if there was bra strap.

Schue started to say something else but was cut off by the demon coach.

"Well if it isn't the ring leader and two of his clowns." Coach Death started. "Seriously Will, if I lit a match your hair would go up in flames from all the product in there."

Okay, Schue say something mildly insulting. "Volume is better than limp, Sue." Not what I would have gone with but whatever.

Schue walked away little swagger in his step. You go, Schue.

"What you looking at, Blaxican?" she said as she shoved me into a locker. Apparently, the insult got the job done.

"Wow. That was not nearly as insulting as usual. Must not be used to being on the receiving end." Note to self: Make rude comments about her hair. Puck and I started walking toward the math room. For a test. God help me.

* * *

Puck wasn't paying attention, actually that's not true he was paying plenty of attention to Bobi. She was diligently taking her math test. And who was he kidding? He wouldn't pass the math test if he actually did fill in the answers. But there was something going on. Quinn was stamping around pointing and nodding at him.

Puck doesn't do relationship things, not permanent relationship things. Puck cleaned pools and pipes if you know what he means. Puck flirted with cheerleaders and attractive volleyball players; he didn't sit around mooning over a girl. Not even movie stars or singers. But for the last ten minutes, all Puck could do is stare at Bobi.

She was wearing another skirt and a purple shirt. Wonder what kind of underwear she was wearing?

Quinn was crazy; Bobi didn't have a thing for him. He certainly only had one thing on his mind. Sure, it was shallow and stereotypical but he wasn't about to let all that good sexual energy go to waste. Okay, after he found out Quinn was pregnant he freaked out a little especially at Kelly Mitchell.

Kelly Mitchell was convinced he was gay now. It had been the after-party after the only win of the football season. He was a spectacular drunk and grabbing at anything with breasts. Every squeak and squeal just enticed him. Puck was lonely and angry; he had helped win the game more than Finn did. Quinn should want to be with him and there she was sitting on his lap daintily sipping a soda. Kelly Mitchell had come over half-gone on cranberry vodka.

"Sit with me" Puck plopped down on an empty couch and proceeded to feel up the willing Kelly. Suddenly, they were in a bedroom and Kelly was pulling at his belt buckle. She was moaning and making all the appropriate sounds, which should have turned him on, but all it did was freak him out.

Quinn was pregnant with his child and it was because of this. Oh, he was horny and had he just let Kelly take control he would have rocked her world.

Puck winced in memory. Bobi looked over questioningly. He shook his head and filled in an answer.

"Wait, slow down" Puck grew a vagina right there.

"What?" Kelly pulled back from his neck.

"I can't"

"I'm sorry. What?"

"Bitch, you don't know my life!" he refastened his belt and ran out of the party. Instantly sober, he drove home and hid in his room for the rest of the weekend. He was such a pussy.

So yeah, he freaked out that one time. After three completely sober weekends, he gave in to Mrs. Sanchez, it wasn't fantastic, but then nothing ever was. Not even Quinn had been.

Bobi shifted in her seat flashing a bit more thigh. Kenny Roberts glanced over a few too many times. Puck was going to have to talk to him.

He finished his test not bothering to figure out the answers. Bobi had just finished hers, so Puck grabbed it taking both to the front. When he turned back around, Bobi was staring off into space a sad look on her face. Puck knocked into her desk on the way past to get rid of the look. He couldn't stand to see that look on her face and not know what was going on.

Puck always wanted to know what she was thinking when her head was tilted to one side as if listening to music or a voice only she could hear. When Mike and Matt were being particularly weird and she would shake her head then check the exits.

He really wanted to know why her smile faded sometimes when she smiled at him. Puck really liked when Bobi smiled at him. He felt like a super hero. As if he could do anything, Puck hadn't even slammed that Ben-Israel freak into the lockers in a while.

The bell rang releasing the students into the hallways. Puck and Bobi walked to their lockers and then the cafeteria together.

"Hey, Bobi" Kenny Roberts slipped through the crowd to walk with them.

"Hey" she greeted. Puck could see where this was going.

"Hey Roberts, don't you have eighth-graders to molest" Puck reached between the small space and grabbed Bobi's hand. She let him hold her hand. It was really soft.

Kenny Roberts looked down at their linked hands and promptly wet his pants. "Sorry, Puck man. I didn't know"

"Didn't know what?" Bobi retracted her hand. She didn't look him in the eye but there was a slight blush to her cheeks. "What didn't he know?"

Puck scoffed, "How the hell should I know?" They both dug in their lockers for a second. "It's not like I can read the thoughts of every horny guy in school." Puck thought for a moment, "but wouldn't that be cool if I could read the thoughts of every girl in school"

"Not really" Bobi came out with her Spanish things while Puck had unloaded everything for lunch. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Quinn walking with Kurt and Mercedes. Kurt was waving his hands explaining something while the others listened smiles on their faces. Quinn had caught his eye and looked pointedly at Bobi.

Yeah, yeah, stretch pants, calm your butt down; he was working on it.

"Oh, come on babe, I would be able to read all the thoughts of the girls in school. And you know what they all would be thinking?" Puck glanced over as they made their way to the cafeteria. "Puck is a sex-god"

"More like "do these jeans make me fat" or in Rachel case, show tunes. Now, do you really want that power? To read the mind of Rachel Berry 24/7? I wouldn't. It would be dance counts and music 'round the clock. Thank you no, I'd rather be normal. No magic powers for me."

"Not even super-strength?" Puck grabbed a shell for his taco boat.

"God, no" Bobi filled her shell with meat and lettuce, "Do you know what super strength does? Makes you go through alarm clocks like that" Bobi snapped. "Plus then I would feel obligated to save the world from destruction or what have you"

"Alarm clocks?"

"Yeah, alarm clocks."

* * *

During lunch, this kid in my biology class, Franklin, I think, called me over. He had fallen asleep and was now freaking out because he had no clue what to do for the homework due on Wednesday.

I was half way through explaining how the chemical process of breathing works for the second time when I felt an arm slink around my waist and someone whisper in my ear, "What are you doing?"

I turned my head, "Helping-him figure out his homework."

Puck nuzzled closer. What was this? Possessive much? You'd think he was jealous. He wasn't jealous, was he? Let's find out.

I stepped away from Puck and closer to the kid. "How about I let you copy my notes tomorrow?" I touched his arm and smiled coyly. "We are lab partners after all."

Puck growled and clenched his jaw. I knew it!

Franklin left freaked out after that. Puck and I went back to our table.

"You're jealous" I started. We continued to eat. I love Taco Boat Day.

"Am not." Liar. My heart soared a little. I liked Puck. I liked that he would stop groping some random girl to walk me to class. I mean Puck is a horn dog but what guy isn't. I shook my head to clear it. Puck was my friend. He does things cause he's a good friend. Biology Lab Partner, I mean Franklin, was probably a gross science nerd. That's all.

"Are too. But I can't for the life of me figure out why. It's not like you caught me say-making out with some red headed cheerleader before math class."

"Can-_Will_ I catch you making out with some red headed cheerleader?"

"That's not my point. We aren't dating. We're friends" I finished eating.

"I can't be caged, babe."

"This means that I can be with anyone I want too." I grabbed my tray and left. I wasn't mad or anything. We were friends. And yeah, there was a thing. Not just between Quinn and Puck but between Puck and me. I needed to think.

So did he. I caught a sympathetic smile from Quinn as I sat down at her table to await the bell. I think I am distraction for him just something to pass the time with. I don't think I can handle that. I was just starting to feel like not everyone was going to leave me. That's stupid. I was alone and I was always going be alone. Puck would leave. I would graduate. We would go our separate ways eventually. But what about until then? Why couldn't I have someone?

You know why, I told myself. I could still feel the sting of heartache caused by the deaths of my family, the crew. I had to protect myself. I wasn't going to be able to survive another blow like that.

* * *

This wasn't what I thought was going to happen. Kurt was going to come by for a quick self-defense lesson. I was then going to convince Illyria for a quick sparring round, get my ass kicked, and go to bed. Maybe get Andrew to make dessert waffles for dinner and watch a sad movie. I would think about Puck and Quinn and the baby another day. That was what I was expecting when I opened the front door. Oh, Kurt had come as asked for the self-defense lesson. But he also brought Tina, Artie, and Mercedes.

"I thought that since you were teaching me," Kurt gestured to the group behind him, "you could teach them"

"Yeah sure" No, not really. Glee Club was sucking my soul into its little nightmare of friendship and happiness. I didn't want to be happy. I didn't want friends. I wanted to survive.

Andrew popped up from behind me in the kitchen "Spike is going to be happy. You have so many friends"

"No, Andrew" I whirled on him "Let me make this clear I don't have friends. These are just people I hang out with because of the glee club. One of them was having a bad week and I thought that he needed to learn to defend himself, that's all"

"Oh" he gasped excitedly "I'm going to make éclairs"

"Andrew, no!" I hissed at his back.

"So are we going to do this or what?" Mercedes asked before I could go after the little baking toad.

"Yeah" I turned back to the group "Um, the backyard should be okay" When it was just Kurt, I was going to use the basement and explain away the weapons; Spike's a collector or something. Now there were too many people to keep an eye on, someone would pick up a blade and slice off a finger. Then there would be questions, 'who keeps a collector's item sharpened enough to cut through a finger like a hot knife through butter?' Yeah, even I couldn't come up with a good answer to that one.

* * *

Yup, this wasn't weird. I tried to tell myself. This was normal. Just a normal self-defense class given by a 16 year old to other 16 year olds. I hung my head. I just couldn't convince myself that this was anything but what it was. Why the hell was I doing this in the first place?

I watched as the group go through another round of jabs. "It doesn't need to be perfect," I reminded them "as long as it gets the job done. You're just looking to blind your opponent long enough for you to run away." That's what I had been told. Didn't matter if you screwed up, as long as you lived another day. I shook the thoughts away.

I didn't know what I was doing. There was no demons in Lima. But there was badness and thugs. Maybe this would save their lives one day.

"How we doing?" Kurt asked while waiting for his turn again.

"Yeah, everyone is doing pretty good." That's right, I was helping the helpless. In Lima, Ohio where there were no monsters. I fought the need to shake my head at the sarcastic thought.

"How about a break?" Andrew stood on the deck right outside the sliding door. "I made snacks."

"We'll be right in." I answer. "I think that's enough for the day. Plus, Andrew is like the best cook ever."

We all maneuvered into the kitchen and situated ourselves around the table. Andrew set plates of cookies, homemade éclairs, and cream puffs onto the table. Andrew added a stack of small plates and cups of clear soda.

"Volia! Mes enfants, Andrew's special French self defense afternoon snack"

"You made cream puffs"

"Don't be fooled guys" I grabbed two cookies, a cream puff, and an éclair. "Andrew has been planning on making pastries for days. You being here just gave him an excuse to show off."

"These are really good" Mercedes smiled at Andrew.

"My mom would have just put out carrots," Artie said a little awed.

"You going to eat anything Kurt?"

"Got to watch my figure."

"Your figure could use a nice éclair." I plopped one onto his plate and whisper, "You don't want to hurt Andrew's feelings, do you? He's very sensitive."

Kurt eyed the pastry as if it was going to jump off the plate and force itself down his throat. "No, seriously" I whispered with a nod in Andrew's direction. Andrew was beaming so wide at the compliments the group was giving him.

"It's all about presentation," he was telling Tina.

"Hey duckie, these friends of yours?" Spike entered the kitchen.

"Nope, met 'em on the street and asked them in for treats." I drank some Sprite. "I don't actually know any of these people."

Spike hesitated but finally put a hand on my shoulder. "How's the self defense going, ducks?"

"Peachy" Illyria must have told him. Spike and I hadn't really talked since my meltdown last Thursday. He had tried to get Andrew to make a family dinner but Spike had gotten a call from Buffy. This was the first time I had seen him since I had left for school on Friday.

The hand on my shoulder was heavy and I was getting uncomfortable with it there. I wanted to shake it off or stand up. I wanted Spike to realize that I hadn't meant for him to see any of that. It had just been a long day. It hadn't been that long since all of their deaths and I didn't want Gunn's death to mean nothing. I didn't want their deaths to have so little affect on me. I was in a different city but I was the same person.

Kurt glanced at the microwave clock. "We got to go. My dad has a date and he wants me home before he leaves," Kurt stood. "It was fantastic, Andrew."

"Yeah, thanks. See you tomorrow."

"Bye guys."

"They look like a good group of kids."

"Yeah, from the glee club"

"Ah, see you are making friends." Spike moved around the table. He was beaming at the thought of me having friends. "Being in the glee club isn't that bad after all"

"I guess"

"Why self defense?"

"They're in the glee club. Apparently, that means bottom of whatever predestined social heap there is. Kurt was getting hassled. He isn't exactly aware of danger. I'm just helping out. You know the mission."

"Figures you would find someone here to save, cupcake."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you haven't let go of the mission. You aren't in LA; there are no demons to fight. I made a promise; Gunn wants you to live a normal life. You can't be fighting all these battles."

"First of all, you didn't make a promise. Gunn in a weird fit of peak put in his Will, which is enforced by scary Council lawyers, that he wanted something more for me. And people do make a living being self defense instructors"

"Not at 16"

"Whatever" I was so disgusted with this. "I'm going for a run"

"Homework first"

"'s done" I slammed the door taking off. It wasn't but it didn't matter. Nothing did. I picked up speed trying to run as fast as I could maybe hoping that I could run away from the demons I still saw in the dark shadowy bits of the demon free town.


	12. Tire Slashing Fun

DISCLAIMER: Angel/Buffy type people belong to Joss Whedon, Glee type people belong to Ryan Murphy and Co., and Bobi belongs to us. There is no owning of anything. Except for Bobi.

AN: Please Review. Come on, people! Let's click that review button. Two more reviews and the story is in double digits! Exciting stuff, I'll tell ya.

* * *

**Tire Slashing Fun**

They think this is what he would have wanted. He wouldn't want me to forget. He wouldn't want me to close my eyes or pretend. He always wanted me to be me. Not fit into a box of how things are supposed to be. He would want me to remember and fight because I wanted. Maybe not for the territory or LA, but Gunn died fighting for the world. He died a hero.

I want to mean something. I couldn't do that here.

No one means anything here.

Despair came as a wave over me when I woke up. I didn't know what it was. I had a feeling I didn't want to leave my bed. My phone vibrated.

_Need a ride?_

Puck. I held back a sob. I couldn't deal with any of this. I changed into some sweats and my sneakers. I listened at the door. Everyone would already be up. Spike and Illyria would be downstairs arguing over something. Andrew would be making my breakfast ignoring everything else.

I eased my window up and slipped out. I was a little rusty but I don't think anyone saw me. I hadn't climbed in or out a window since I was forced to leave LA. There hadn't been a need. What was there to protect here? Who was there to spy on? Middle age parents and some rebellious singing teens? Illyria always found me anyway.

I started running down the street. I don't why I had started running so much. It just felt like the thing to do. I didn't think so much after a run. All there was at the end of the run was trying not to die.

One foot in front of the other. Make it to the next block, the next street. Almost there, almost back. Almost home.

* * *

"Oh, Bobi" Miss Pillsbury caught me stomping into the school. "Hello, umm"

"Yes?" I turned back around.

"I was wondering how you are doing?"

"Peachy" I turned back around. Miss Pillsbury caught up and walked with me into the school.

"Mr. Schuester has come to me with several concerns"

I rolled my eyes, "You haven't spoken to Mr. Schue in days." I had reached my locker and nodded to Puck.

"I would have given you a ride," he whispered to me before Miss Pillsbury interrupted.

"I heard about what those Vocal Adrenaline kids did with the singing and the choir room. I wanted to make sure you were okay with everything?"

"Don't worry about it, Miss P," Puck told her grabbing my arm, "We've got it covered." He pulled me away from our lockers towards the choir room.

"We do?"

* * *

Puck and Finn were plotting. You could see the steam coming out of their ears from across the lunchroom. Puck wasn't wrong. Something needed to be done about those zealous Vocal Adren-drones. But I didn't think he was right. This would end badly.

"Guys, stop before the gears grinding cause permanent damage." I plopped my lunch tray down.

"You were a criminal, help us"

"Okay, stalker, you need to stop doing that" I dug into my pasta salad

"What" he smirked.

"Knowing stuff and two: NO"

"Please" Finn turned his puppy dog eyes on me. "You're a part of Glee Club too. Doesn't Vocal Adrenaline make you mad?"

"Some random people TP-ing the choir room? Sure, but vengeance shouldn't be taken lightly. It leads to retaliation which hurts YOUR pride, then gang wars, suddenly before you know it, your entire city is in flames, and you're covered in the blood of the innocent." I flashed back briefly. Bile rose in my throat but I kept it down. Now wasn't the time to lose myself in the pit of despair I had created for myself. I pushed back my feelings. I was leading a normal life.

"Or we could just slash their tires?" Puck offered.

I didn't look at the two teens as I squashed down the feeling of uselessness. I felt Puck's hand slide over my knee but it didn't move any higher to cop a feel. When I thought the feeling was gone from my face, I looked up. Finn was shoveling pizza as fast as he could into his mouth. Puck was trying not to look at me. I didn't want the sympathy and he knew it. I squeezed his hand on my knee letting him know I appreciated the comfort. What can I say? I' m weak. We were friends, sure. But, sometimes it's nice to know that there could be more. I mean this is what it felt like to have a partner. Someone who shared everything. Puck squeezed my thigh. Yeah, my life was getting more complicated by the second.

"Jell-o stains" I smiled weakly.

Mike and Matt plopped down their lunch trays. "Fill their choir room with Jell-o"

"Pizza is all I'm saying. It's a classic for a reason"

"With what money, Rutherford?"

"Oh and we have the money for 30 cubic feet of Jell-o?"

"Guys," Finn yelled over the bickering, "They're supposed to pay for the pizza. That's kinda the point." Matt and Mike stared at Finn for a second before going back to their argument.

Puck leaned over and under the guise of stealing a carrot, "You okay?" he squeezed my thigh again.

"Yeah" I let go of his hand and crossed my legs so his hand would fall off "Fine" Just pretending to be normal.

* * *

"Come with us" Puck implored at our lockers after final bell.

"Finally decide on a master plan?" I slammed my locker shut and faced him.

"Slash their tires."

"Please tell me you aren't going to be a part of this scandalous affair?" Rachel appeared at my elbow.

"God! Raspberry, make a noise!"

"Bobi, this isn't the time to degrade ourselves and play at their level. We must rise above"

"And sing a song?" I mocked her. I went back to emptying my bag.

"What did you have in mind, Oh Fearless Leader?" Puck asked her.

Rachel looked away. She seemed a little lost at the whole situation. "I'll admit that I haven't come up with a suitable plan yet. However never fear, I will go home and up on my thinking cap on. I'm sure I'll devise the prefect musical punishment for their treatment of New Directions."

"It's okay to have other emotions than musical at what what's-his-face did"

"I have no idea what you're talking about" Rachel smoothed her skirt down preparing herself for battle. "This is just another excellent experience for my future career. I will forever be able to look back on Jesse and mine's tragic relationship and use the turmoil I feel to portray any number of roles I will inevitably star in."

"And while you do that" Puck gestured at her then us, "the normal people are going to actually going to do something about your mistake of a boyfriend"

"Bobi, I must insist-" Rachel started. I had gone back to my locker packing up the books I would need.

"Sorry, I held in there as long as I could Raspberry but I stopped listening awhile ago. If you're wondering it was around 'excellent experience'." I grabbed my coat out my locker. In the corner of my eye, I saw Rachel fade a little at being ignored. Life's tough, girl, get use to it.

"Did you know they all have matching Range Rovers with vanity plates?" Puck asked me. I didn't notice if Rachel was still standing by us or not.

"Can't say that I did"

He put a hand on my hip "Come on" he whined wiggling me back and forth. I wasn't against the idea but this wasn't something I wanted to get into again. This wasn't the fight I wanted. I hadn't been kidding at lunch. I knew what it felt like to be in a gang war. I knew that rush of pride at humiliating the 'bad' guy and that sense of bonding that comes with it.

"I can't. Spike wants me home right after school. Homework"

"I'll pick you up" he smiled "10:30. Wear something sexy." When Puck smiled, I felt better about the world. I wanted to mean something. Why couldn't this be the start of that? It was just a little prank after all; a nice normal thing teenagers did to have fun. Best of both worlds, Spike got the normal and I got to help the helpless.

* * *

My phone buzzed in my pocket as I watched Puck leave for basketball practice. The boy could walk like nobody else." What up, Andrew?"

"Just checking in"

"Spike going to be home?" I asked thinking about my thing with Puck and Finn. The less Spike was involved in this part of my life the better. He wouldn't understand.

"He and Illyria are going to do a sweep after dinner. I'm making pesto stuffed pork chops"

"That reminds me, I'm doing a thing after dinner too"

"What are you doing?"

"I'm not comfortable discussing that at this point" I opened my locker out of habit then shut it when I realized my coat was in my hands.

"How about with who?"

"Some guys from glee club" I caved a little, "I won't be out late or anything, just getting together"

"It seems like you are doing better"

"Better than?" I tried to put on my scarf without putting down my phone. It took a second but I accomplished it.

"Before, in LA"

"I don't know what you are talking about." I pulled my coat on and nodded goodbye to someone who was leaving.

"You're making friends, acquaintances, dates with ex-mohawks?" Andrew tried.

"He's a friend"

"I think he's more than a friend"

"Yeah you think that"

"I'll tell Spike" Andrew hung up before I could stop him.

"No," I snapped my phone shut "don't tell him"

* * *

"Mr. Schuester, are you here?" I called into his Spanish classroom. He wasn't. So, I walked toward the choir room.

I wanted to talk to him. I had started to overthink everything as I walked out of the school. I hadn't gotten far before deciding I needed to ask someone. I had first thought of going over my question with Miss Pillsbury but she had blabbed the last time. I wasn't about to let that happen again. Mr. Schuester had never told anyone about anything. He even told the Raspberry off when she let it slip to the Glee Club about my singing. I could trust him.

I caught him as he was walking out. "Mr. Schuester, I need to ask you a question. It might sound weird."

"Okay, go for it."

I paused for a second. What if he didn't want to help me? What if he figured out what was going on? Crap, I just needed someone to validate my thinking. Schue was looking expectantly at me so in a rush of words I asked, "What would you do if you liked someone and they asked you to do something you know you shouldn't? Not sex or anything. Something that's sorta bad but you probably wouldn't get in trouble for it. Would you do it? If you thought maybe it was the right thing?"

Schue looked confused. "Yes. I guess."

Okay then. I nodded "Thanks." Fantastic. Schue was right. Slashing Vocal Adrenaline's tires wasn't the most correct thing in the world. I was part of a team now though. What kind of person would I be if I didn't uphold any kind of loyalty after the insult of trashing our choir room?

* * *

I put my earphones in as I walked out of the building. The weather was turning warmer. Puck had all but thrown a party when a group of girls had showed up at school in skirts. I still felt the cold down in my bones. 50 degrees is cold I don't care who ya are. Spike finally caved and let me build up a winter wardrobe. The first day I showed up in jeans, Puck bitched all day. Why couldn't I wear another skirt when all the rest of the girls were?

The walk home wasn't as bad as when Spike had first taken the car. If I hoofed it, I almost didn't need the fall weight coat. I didn't want to rush the walk though. I could do what I wanted on this walk. I could think. I could not think. I could dream.

A car horn blasted, Kurt was driving slowly beside me as I walked. "Hey girl! What'cha doin'?" Kurt yelled over the blare of my iPod.

That was a stupid question. "Walking."

"No you're not, hop in." Kurt told me from his SUV. Once I climbed inside, "So what are you doing tonight?"

"Crime, I guess." He gave me a weird look. "Puck wants me to hang. They're doing the payback thing."

"That's a kind of a strange thing to do on a first date." Kurt turned on to a street, "Wait a minute; I forgot who I was talking about."

What? Oh no, not a date.

"It's not a date. Finn's going to be there and we're slashing tires. Not exactly a date-like activity." We pulled into the driveway. "Thanks for the ride. See ya tomorrow."

"Hoping for a date, then?" Kurt asked before I could shut the door. I flipped him off and stomped into the house. It wasn't a date.

* * *

Puck's truck drove up at 10:45. Spike didn't look happy.

"He looks like a wanker, duckie"

"You need to calm down" I slipped my chucks on as Puck blasted his horn. "He's a nice NORMAL boy. And we're going to be doing nice, normal things" I wasn't sure I was trying to convince, him or me. _It wasn't a date_, I reminded myself.

"Don't have sex"

"Spike!" I gaped "I said normal, not hormonal!"

"You lust for the boy" Illyria pushed the curtains aside to glare out the window "the stench fills my nostrils like a decaying body left in the sun." She jerked her head to the side, and then jerked her body to face me, "do not get caught"

"Okay, that's it" the horn blared again "I'm going now" I grabbed my black jacket that matched my skinny black jeans, which would cover up the dark blue shirt I was wearing. Normal dark clothes, whether you are just hanging out with friends, or committing a crime.

"No glove, no love ducks!" Spike yelled at me as I climbed into the truck

Puck smirked knowingly as he pulled out of the driveway "You so want me"

* * *

The whites of Finn's panicked eyes gleamed in the darkness as Puck pulled his truck up to the curb. We were a couple of blocks over waiting to put the plan into motion. Rachel wasn't wrong when she said Vocal Adrenaline practiced until midnight every night. It might not have been every night but those VA freaks were singing and bopping away in their auditorium getting ready for Regionals.

"Finn" I whispered "calm down."

"No, yeah, okay" he nodded. The rush of blood had already gotten to him.

"You know, you don't have to do this"

Puck looked over at me and back at Finn "Dude, they TP-ed our choir room. We are so doing this. It's time to nut up or shut up"

Puck pushed open his door and started to creep towards the school. Finn and I followed quietly. You could hear the spy music playing in Puck's head. Stalker

"Really, Finn. You don't have to do this." He had stopped. The Carmel High parking lot was just ahead. Puck was gesturing franticly for us to hurry up. "No one will think less of you"

"Puck's right" Finn's face took on an edge "Time to nut up or shut up"

* * *

The night was going down without a hitch. No car alarms and the satisfying hiss of air as the Range Rovers sank one by one to the ground left us encouraged. We could do no wrong tonight. We rushed back to the car.

While the job was done, we were still a little worried about being caught the adrenaline had gotten to Puck and Finn making them rambunctious.

Puck bounced in his seat while driving "That was awesome."

Finn sat in the back his leg shaking like crazy. "Totally."

"We're total badasses," Puck crowed, "like in the kingdom of badasses we're the rulers. I'm the king and you're my queen." He threw an arm around my shoulders and squeezed me close. I swallowed my own sense of euphoria and pulled out of Puck's grip a little bit. He didn't know what he was saying. He didn't mean it.

"You need to slow your roll" I enunciated slowly "It's like you've never slashed a tire before." The guys didn't protest soon enough. "Oh my god! Seriously, then you guys really need to calm down. This is not a big deal." I looked over at Puck, "maybe you shouldn't drive for a bit."

"What! No, I'm fine" Puck swerved to miss a mailbox.

"Yeah, pull over"

Puck pulled over on the neighborhood street. Both guys were in no condition to go home without spilling the beans. I adjusted the seat over Puck's protest. I was not about to get busted for slashing the tires of Vocal Adrenaline. If I was going to go down for vandalism, it was going to be something big. After everything was said and done, this just seemed petty.

"I'm hungry," I declared. I sorta was. It was a thing back-in LA. The crew took out a vampire nest or pushed back some drug dealers and we treated ourselves to a feast. Of course, the feast for us was usually a couple shared pizzas. Right now, it was mostly so I could get something to absorb the sugar rush Puck and Finn seemed to be on.

"Sure okay" Puck readily agreed.

"Oh" Finn exclaimed suddenly scrambling for his pocket. I drove the truck carefully to the main drag in town. "Matt and Mike are at B-Dub's. Let's go there. Can we go there? Let's go there!"

The Buffalo Wild Wings was in sight. "Sounds good" We parked in the semi empty parking lot.

I spotted Matt and Mike in the back corner. Mike was dancing with carefree abandon. Matt was watching Sports Center munching on some wings.

Mike whirled around once more. "What the hell are you doing?"

"My text message moves, it's not as expressive as my got homework dance or my haircut jive but I like it."

"You need to relax, dance party." I sat down but Puck and Finn didn't pull up seats. They had disappeared. "I just said I was hungry. Where did they go?"

I found them walking circles around the lobby. "Guys, come on, let's go sit down." I grabbed Puck's hand and gestured Finn to follow.

About two minutes of Puck and Finn playing with the kiddie menu passed. Finn almost burst into tears after losing three games of Tic Tack Toe. "Can I get two of the trivia game things, please?" I flagged down the waitress. Anything to keep their minds occupied and not bother me or the other patrons.

"Sure, would you like to order?"

"Yea, can I get three waters and 24 Honey Barbeque Wings."

"Of course, I'll come right over with the games." She gave the guys a weird look.

"What's with them?" Matt asked during a commercial. Mike had started to egg on each of the boys by turn.

"They can't handle a life of crime" I sighed

When the waitress came with the trivia games, I took both. "Okay guys, if you can sit and play the entire game, I'll do your homework."

"For how long?" "What if we tie?" I got both questions at once.

"One day's worth. You don't have to win just sit there and play for the whole game. If you are both successful, I'll do both your homework."

"Mine too?" Mike scooted closer to Puck to see over his shoulder.

"No" The wings came after three questions. By question five, Puck and Finn had forgotten all about their tire slashing adventure that evening and caught up in the spirit of trivia game competition.

The wings were eaten. Mike and Matt ate most of them. I chatted and teased each of the guys a bit. I was a completely normal girl with no strange past. It was nice for a change. I ended up helping Finn halfway through the game. I felt bad he didn't know any of the answers.

By question eight, Puck had his arm slung around me. It was friendly at first but every time Finn grinned goofily at me for helping him Puck's arm tightened possessively. He wasn't jealous, was he?

The game ended in much fanfare. Both made it through the entire game ensuring the triple homework tomorrow.

Crap. I'm a freaking genius.

* * *

Finn finally crashed in the back of Puck's truck on the way home. The excitement of getting back at those Vocal Adrenaline jerk-offs and no homework the next day had tuckered him out.

"How are you going to get him out of your truck?" It had been a long day for me too. I was curled up on the seat facing Puck. I could see Finn start to drool against the window. He put the truck in park in the driveway and looked into the backseat.

"If he doesn't wake up, he'll sleep in the truck"

"That's not nice" I shifted closer after I removed my seatbelt. "You should try to wake him up so he can go home"

* * *

"Wouldn't be the first time he slept here" Puck shrugged. He watched her face as she blinked her eyes closed. A small smile still played on her lips. He had missed that smile. Bobi hadn't smiled for the rest of the day after lunch. No matter how hard he had tried, smart jokes, bad jokes, puns. He even tried being sweet and adorable or at least Quinn's definition of adorable. I mean, come on he was a freaking badass, how much more adorable could he get? But Bobi had barely rolled her eyes at his behavior.

"I should go," she groaned reaching for the door behind her.

"Yeah" he really wanted to hug her, touch her. Tell her everything will be okay even if it's not. He wanted-the truck door closed and Bobi trudged up the walk. She turned back to him with another smile and a wave goodnight.

Puck nodded and put the truck in gear. Tonight had been an awesome night.


	13. Appropriate Friends

DISCLAIMER: Angel/Buffy type people belong to Joss Whedon, Glee type people belong to Ryan Murphy and Co., and Bobi belongs to us. There is no owning of anything. Except for Bobi.

AN: Okay, first things first, I sincerely apologize if anyone was waiting with bated breath for an update. There was a timeline issue, which has since been fixed. The next couple of chapters have a rough shape and should be out in the next month, hopefully.

What I'm looking for out of you all out there is information. You haven't heard from us for a while and we haven't heard from you. I'm feeling a little shakey on this chapter and what would help get the next two chapters out is your response to this chaper. So, please review. Please let us know what you are thinking. Everything is taken into consideration.

Without further ado, enjoy the next installment of our story...

* * *

**Appropriate Friends**

I had rode last night's high well into the morning hours. The high of being close to Puck, of being a normal girl with a normal boyfriend and not have to be in danger. Nothing could touch me. I finally fell asleep only to have Spike bang on my door an hour later. I sat, showered and dressed trying to recognize the food Andrew put in front of me.

"It's a frittata"

"It smells like eggs"

"It is eggs"

"Okay then" I dug in trying not to think to hard on what I was eating. There were weird things in my eggs. I tried not to look like I wanted cold cereal.

"Andrew said that you didn't get in too late" Spike didn't take his eyes off his soap opera magazine.

"Home by 1" Andrew smiled at me oddly. I grabbed more bacon and nodded.

"All your homework was done, duckie?" Alarm bells in my head started to go off.

"Yeah" I said between bites. "You asked last night before I left. Twice"

"Right" Spike faked a cough. Something was up.

"In fact, I'm pretty sure that I believe that was the stipulation for letting me leave"

"Right" He paused trying to save the conversation, "Whaddja do?"

"Hung out" I took another bite of bacon, "What's going on?" The room suddenly wasn't just morning tense. It was 'there's danger around the corner' tense.

"I'll be traveling more. Leaving you and Andrew-"

"With Lyri. Alone" I finished for him. He nodded. There was something else. I looked over at the Old One. She was examining her spoon closely.

"They are fools, those who believe they can detain me."

"Sure" I took a sip of orange juice. I heard my phone buzz upstairs. "Anything else?"

"You catching up with school and everything, ducks?"

"Yeah" I stood downing the juice.

"Good, good" he flipped another page.

"Do I get a reward for good behavior?" I tried to ask innocently enough.

"I might be willing to give you back you car keys if you find more appropriate friends, cupcake"

"More appropriate friends? Such as?"

Spike put down the magazine and tried to come up with an answer.

A car horn honked, "Well, one of my inappropriate friends is giving me a ride. See you later" I snarfed down the hot dish and grabbed my bags. I'm a survivor of the LA riots. I was in a gang. I slayed vampires for chrissake. I'm not normal. Only in this house would the singing angst-y teens be considered inappropriate.

* * *

Kurt and his SUV were sitting in my driveway. I tried not to be disappointed it wasn't Puck.

"So" Kurt drawled, "How was it?"

I snagged the extra coffee in Kurt's cup holder, "Dark" I yawned. I suddenly didn't want to talk about it. Last night had been great. I didn't want anything to ruin it. Talking about it would make it real and complicated. By not talking about it, it was dream. Prefect and untainted by other people's opinions.

"Seriously, was it bad?"

"For Vocal Adrealine" I smiled

"Oh, that's a smutty smile" he squealed a little

"It's not a smutty smile" I took a sip of coffee, "It's a 'last night was good because we pulled off a prank' smile."

"Nothing else?"

"Like what? It's not like we all had sex afterwards"

"There was sex?" Kurt's voice cracked. The car swerved a little before righting itself. He looked panicked.

"No" Kurt was pulling into the parking lot now. "No sex, no date" I insisted, "Prank. Repeat"

"Fine, fine" he put the car in park. He didn't seem convinced, but I wasn't about to let him try to make more of this than what it was. It had bee a prank, I told myself. If it was more-god, how I wish it was more.

"Repeat"

"No sex, no date. Prank"

"Thank you"

"Then wings" he hopped out. Wait, what?

"How did you know?"

"It's this miraculous thing called Facebook" Kurt slammed the door. I hurried out and around. No! This was a private moment. Other people knowing would ruin it. Not to mention, the more likely we would be to get caught.

"What?"

"Mike and Matt posted something about getting their asses kicked at B-Dugs trivia"

"Crap"

"What?"

I grabbed a hold of his jacket trying to make him slow down. "Anything else?" Please let there not be anything else. Please let there-

"Like what?" Kurt gripped my wrist and put pressure on the tendon. I was too focused to realize he had actually learned something from the self defense lesson.

"About the prank"

He straightened his jacket and flicked his fingers through his styled hair. "No" Kurt and I walked into the building, "Should there be?"

"Let's hope not " Today wasn't turning out to be a good day. I tried to quickly mentally prepare myself for what might happen.

"Seriously, though. You have to tell me. Was it like wrangling cats?"

"What?" He grabbed my arm with his surprising strength and dragged me over to his locker.

"Puck is Quinn's baby daddy"

"Yeah, knew that" I shrugged the emotion off. "You told me that"

"Quinn claimed Finn was at first"

That gave me pause. Chastity Barbie had lied? I wasn't so worried about getting caught now. Wasn't that a sin?

"Miss Gunn, a word" Principal Figgins called from his office. Yeah, that was predictable.

* * *

I was walking to my locker after my 'nice' chat with Mr. Schuester, Principal Figgins and that Vocal Adrenaline lady, when the Voice of Death commanded, "My office now."

This is absolutely what I needed right now, a lecture from one of my nemeses. I needed time to take a breath. I needed space to process everything; but no, because this is my life. So, sure, why not? Pile it on! It's not like I have anything better to do. Like get a job, earn the trust of a century old vampire to get my car back.

I grew wistful at the thought of my car. It was pretty and had gas. Seriously, I had a bag packed in the trunk. 2 days of driving and I'd be back in LA. Back where I belong.

I was pissed because I had to find a job. I was never going to get my car back. And now a chat with the cheerleading coach from hell to top off my morning. Fan-fucking-tastic.

I plopped down crossing my arms and legs, "Yes?"

"Adding vandalism to your long list of personality flaws?"

"What do you care? Why were you even there?"

" I'm co-director of the Glee Club." She let that fact sink in. "Looks like Schuester forgot that little nugget of information. Now I know that it looks like I'm evil but let's get one thing straight: I don't care. What Schuester encourages you miscreants to do after school hours is of little interest to me." Coach Death leaned back in her chair, the master of her domain. "I want my full budget restored which means bringing the Glee Club under the kneel of my awesomeness. You are making it so much easier. I want to thank you."

"What are you talking about?"

"You're proving me right about you being a trouble maker. One more slip up and I'll have the school board convened so fast, you'll still be hiding the body parts"

"People look for things that validate what they already think. You even consider evidence that proves you wrong?"

She scoffed. "Like there would be any. People like you are all the same."

"You don't know anything about people like me. I'm the only person like me that you've ever met. "

"I've met plenty of people like you."

"Yea, you've met a lot of people who's parents died when they were six and was taken in by a different kind of family on the street and an overprotective cousin. Then when they were 16 their cousin died in the worst riots the world has ever seen. Then they were all shipped away from the place they've always known to a small town where people, especially a bitch of a coach endlessly rode their asses. You've met a lot of people like that?"

"I've met plenty of people who believe their lives have been hard when really they have had it no harder than anyone else."

"No harder than anyone else? Fuck you." I stormed out of her office.

* * *

She had no idea. No idea of what I went through. Of what it did to me. I felt the anger build. The warning bell rang and I briefly contemplated skipping. I immediately threw that idea away as Figgins walked by. I needed to be on my best behavior. I had only been saved by Figgins being pervy on the Vocal Freaks director.

I tried to breathe. Calm thoughts.

I had almost achieved a deeper calm when a hand slammed my locker closed. "Bobi."

"Santana" I drawled tightly

She edged close to my face, "Didn't we talk about how Puck was mine and you were going to leave him alone." I stared at her for a moment. I had no idea what she was talking about. She was so close I smelled the overpriced coffee on her breath. Someone laughed loudly nearby jarring me out of my anger.

I yanked my locker door open. "Don't remember." I was trying to avoid a fight I told myself. While I'm sure it would be funny to throw the Latina cheerleader around and give her a couple of visible bruises not related to the conquest of the week, I couldn't afford the attention.

The Latin Satan grabbed my bag off my shoulder and threw it across the hall. She leaned in and whispered harshly, " I think you should stop going on dates. Something bad might happen."

Several students looked on curiously but made no move to interfere. The students closest just stepped over my bag. I was surprised. She wanted to get physical. I spotted Mercedes in the corner of my eye. Right, have to be an example. Normal. I hate people.

I faced her and forced a chuckle. "Are you trying to threaten me?"

She looked abashed for a second and recovered "Yes."

I had a brief flash of genius as I retrieved my bag. "You're not very good at it. You have to commit to the violence. Grabbing my bag was good, but you have to know your audience to really-"

She slammed my locker closed again. "Leave. Puck. Alone."

"What about our last chat led you to believe I give a rat's ass about what you think?"

She leaned in close enough to suffocate me with her musky perfume, "Oh you're going to care."

I pushed her away, opened my locker and shoved my bag in. "Um-hum. Doubt it. Really."

"We'll see." She slammed my locker closed and flounced off.

Nice girl.

* * *

I stomped back into the girls locker room after gym class had been dismissed to change. Coach Sylvester had nothing but glowing sarcastic praise for everyone but me. For me, I received the usual berating. I had gotten a few looks but honestly anything else and I would have suspected a plot or a death trap.

A few girls tittered as usual during the shower because we're 12 and can't handle adult situations. I wrapped a towel around myself and went back to my gym locker. It was open and glaringly empty.

"Where's my clothes?"

"Where are my clothes?" I repeated loud enough the girls still in the shower stopped talking. "One more time, where's my clothes?"

"You really shouldn't piss me off" Santana rolled herself into view. Brittany and another Cheerio flanking her.

"You know I half expected a song during Glee. I applaud you. Hand them over."

"Hand over what?" Brittany asked

"My clothes" I tried not to call her a name. Brittany was dim. I vowed to protect the helpless. She was as helpless as they come.

"You didn't say please"

Santana smirked as whispers started to breakout. I gritted my teeth, "Please"

"Umm" Santana tapped her chin thoughtfully, "What about our last conversation led you to believe I wouldn't say no?"

* * *

I stood staring into my gym locker. I was trying to decide whether I should call Spike or text Kurt.

"Here" A skirt and blouse were shoved in my hands. "Please have them laundered as per the directions on the tags."

"Otherwise chaos will ensue?" I looked up at Rachel

"Or they'll shrink" she stated matter of factly.

"Thanks Rasp-achel"

"You really need to learn not to antagonize certain people."

"Like who"

"Santana, the cheerios, Coach Sylvester, the football team, the hockey team, the basketball team, the chess club, AV, Student Council-"

"So, everyone?"

"Not everyone"

"Sorry, sweet cheeks, you just named everyone in school. That's no way to live your life" The skirt was wool and without tights it was going to drive me crazy, but at least it wasn't any shorter than any of my skirts. "You need to relax a little, Raspberry"

"I wish you wouldn't call me that." The blouse was plain but frilly at the collar and cuffs. I left a few buttons undone at the top and rolled the sleeves to three-quarters.

I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror. "Lord," I murmured. I looked like an ethnic Rachel Berry. Spike would love this. I tried to tug the skirt down a little bit. She handed me some knee socks and loafers.

"You can't wear your trainers with that" she explained

"Heaven forbid" Shockingly the shoes fit. "No offense but I think I'm gonna call Andrew"

She shook her head. Rachel had sad eyes. I knew I would regret this but I had to ask. "What's wrong?"

We left the locker room as the bell ran. "Nothing" She shook herself a little harder and put on a smile. "This is just a perfect experience for a future roles."

"Wow, is that a load of crap" I told her. "Did you ever think that if you stop acting for superior you wouldn't get slushied twice a day?"

"They're just jealous of my talent"

"Whatever you say, Raspberry"

* * *

"Hey, sexy" a breathy voice whispered in his ear. Puck knew it wasn't Bobi. She didn't smell like overpriced rubbing alcohol.

"Hey, babe" he closed his locker with a smirk. Disappointment flashed quickly before Puck settled on a neutral expression. He had heard, of course, from Jacob Ben-Israel before his mid morning Dumpster Dump about what Santana had done to Bobi. Puck didn't know how much more of her shit he could take.

"Wanna make out?" Santana pressed up against him. Puck rolled his eyes.

"Wanna get out of my way?" He brushed past her. Puck had wanted to wait for Bobi, but something needed to be done. Santana would create a scene and after this morning neither he nor Bobi needed the extra attention.

"What is it with you guys?" Santana had her bitch face out. "It's like you cut off your balls or something."

"Maybe I just don't feel like whore today" Puck continued down the hall. Santana followed swaying her hips.

"Please," Santana sneered, "You're seventeen and male. You always feel like sex."

"Not always. Sometimes I feel like beer"

Santana grabbed his arm to stop him at the end of the hallway. "More like the Virgin Mary still has you in her vice grip while the gangbanger wipes up your spunk."

"What is your problem?" It was the first time Puck could remember there actually being an emotion on Santana's face. He wasn't usually paying attention to her face but her rack just didn't compare anymore.

"My problem is that you've got your sack all tied up in a girl who has probably been put away wet too many times while I've got an itch only you can scratch." Puck rolled his eyes again. He just didn't give a damn anymore for Santana's games.

Puck spotted Bobi down the hall. She had a look on her face. He couldn't name it. He wasn't sure if he wanted to. Santana was still going on about whatever. Puck just walked away.

"Ya tell her, her uniform makes her butt look big?" Bobi had tried to put on a curious innocent expression but only made it to slightly less paranoid.

"She asked if I wanted to skip and have sex in her car" he shrugged. She hadn't, not really but it was safer territory Puck thought.

"You said, 'no'?" Bobi sounded surprised. "Mark this day in your calendars folks, Noah Puckerman learned to say 'no.'"

"Haha. But I didn't say 'no,' I said, 'Go to hell.'"

They had reached the classroom. Bobi didn't step away when Puck's hand unbidden gently rested at the small of her back. "Really? Why the sudden change? Thought she was listed in your phone as booty call numero uno?"

Puck shrugged again, "She stole your clothes during gym class."

"How do you know?"

Another shrug. "My sources."

They sat. Puck could finally see Bobi's eyes again. They were curious, not hurt as she asked, "And that means you can no longer have meaningless sex with her?"

"She's a bitch. Never liked her."

"Never stopped you before, stalker." That stopped Puck for a second. Bobi looked away under the pretense of checking on where the teacher was but Puck knew why she did. It's not like he declared anything. He was flirting. He was interested.

* * *

"Hey" Schue greeted me as I walked into the choir room. "I have a song I want you to try"

I had gotten two notes in the middle of Math class. One saying Andrew had dropped off a pair of jeans and another requesting I meet Schue during lunch instead of after school for our singing therapy.

"This is-" I flipped through the pages, "no"

"Come on Bobi. You need this. Singing will help you get those feelings you have bottled up inside out. It's good for the soul" Schue shook a fist as me.

"You're high, aren't you?" I tried to get a good look at Schue's pupils.

"I'm not high. But this week has been hard on the entire Glee Club. I've noticed."

"So you decided to start with me."

"What?" Schue glanced up "Oh, yeah yeah"

"You don't have any idea what we're going to do about Vocal Adrenaline, do you?"

"I know we're not going to slash their tires" he paused "again"

Quinn walked in with the rest of the jazz band. "You wanted to see me Mr. Schue?"

He handed her the pages. It was a pop song. I had never heard of the singer.

"Really, Mr. Schue?" Quinn flicked the pages at him

"It's a good song"

"For a fourteen year old"

"So be fourteen"

"Yeah cause everything was so simple at fourteen" I muttered

The music started and I wanted to blow my brains out. Schue got into the groove closing his eyes feeling the soft music. Quinn drew a breath and started to sing. It was hard not to pay attention to her. It was beautiful and heart breaking.

_"2 AM and she calls me 'cause I'm still awake,_

_"Can you help me unravel my latest mistake?,_

_I don't love him. Winter just wasn't my season"_

_Yeah we walk through the doors, so accusing their eyes_

_Like they have any right at all to criticize,_

_Hypocrites. You're all here for the very same reason"_

I picked up the chorus from Schue's cue. Our voices blended in a way that I had heard at practice. Harmony, pitch, emotional

_"'Cause you can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable_

_And life's like an hourglass, glued to the table_

_No one can find the rewind button, girl._

_So cradle your head in your hands_

_And breathe... just breathe,_

_Oh breathe, just breathe_

_May he turned 21 on the base at Fort Bliss_

_"Just a day" he said down to the flask in his fist,_

_"Ain't been sober, since maybe October of last year."_

_Here in town you can tell he's been down for a while,_

_But, my God, it's so beautiful when the boy smiles,_

_Wanna hold him. Maybe I'll just sing about it._

_Cause you can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable,_

_And life's like an hourglass, glued to the table._

_No one can find the rewind button, boys,_

_So cradle your head in your hands,_

_And breathe... just breathe,_

_Oh breathe, just breathe"_

Schue motioned to the piano man ending the song. "That was great guys." He rounded the piano and positioned us a little farther from each other. "I have just a few simple steps to go with this"

"My ass" I hissed when I missed my entrance for the third time. He walked us through the number again picking out parts to hit harder. Trying to fix my pitch and trying to get more energy out of us.

* * *

"That was not completely awkward" I said hurrying to catch up with Quinn.

"Not completely" She smirked at me. "Were you expecting it to be?"

"Kinda. I mean I know you guys do this a lot but with things and the way they are" I shrugged.

"You didn't think we could keep it together for a song?" Her smile didn't fade so much as snap to her default frown.

"Hey, don't hate. Trying to go for compliment"

"Thanks" Quinn adjusted her bag over her shoulder. I caught a glimpse of Rachel walking to class with Kurt and Mercedes. An idea occurred to me.

"Yeah, you should totally challenge the Raspberry for a solo" I smiled at her "It'd be epic"

Quinn snorted.

"It would"

"I want to be head cheerleader not Queen of the Glee freaks." She stepped into a classroom leaving me in the hallway.


	14. Water Guns and Rock Band

DISCLAIMER: Angel/Buffy type people belong to Joss Whedon, Glee type people belong to Ryan Murphy and Co., and Bobi belongs to us. There is no owning of anything. Except for Bobi.

AN: So...yeah. Review?

* * *

**Water Guns and Rock Band**

I'll admit it. I forgot about the job thing. It didn't even cross my mind until I saw Schue struggling with a pile of papers looking like he had gone a few rounds with a Fyral demon. He told me to grab Finn and Puck and meet him in the choir room when I helped him. Knew I should have kept walking.

"Okay, first of all, I just want to say I'm not disappointed in you. This was my fault. We should have handled this in a more mature fashion."

"Someone's feeling dirty." I didn't mean for it to pop out. But no one goes super formal without having been in the muck for a bit.

Schue shook his head, "No, I just realized my part in all of this so I thought I would help out and got you all jobs."

"Really dirty" Puck agreed

"Why does Schue feel dirty?" Finn whispered to us, "I don't get it"

"At Sheets N Things" Schue tried to hide the flinch but I saw it.

"That right there. What's with Sheets N Things?"

"Isn't that the place where Mr. Ryerson hangs out like some pathetic douche?"

"He's not pathetic, guys" Schue sighed. He was losing my interest pretty quick.

"Any particular time?"

"4:00. Try not to walk out" The bell rang.

"For sure"

"Man, my mom went postal when she heard about the tires," Finn looked overwhelmed, "I don't know how I'm going to do this too"

"I'm still grounded from the fight. I ain't telling my moms shit" put in Puck

"Getting the job may actually get her off your back," I offered "if you don't telling her why you have to have a job"

"What about you?" asked Finn

"Guess I forgot" I shrugged my shoulders, "whoops!"

* * *

The rest of Friday was calm for the most part. Coach Sylvester seemed to have enacted a plan to annoy the Glee Club by encouraging the athletic teams to enjoy a "Spirit Day" or so the signs around the school said.

What this included was red, black and white soap marker over windows and permanent marker on my locker. The messages proclaiming the superior-ness of the McKinley Titans. There were a few other signs disavowing the Glee Club but I saw Puck and Finn tearing them down before too many people saw them. I was proud of them. Maybe slashing VA's tires was worth it if it brought them together as friends.

* * *

"Hey Freak!" Karofsky yelled from the passenger side of an SUV. It had slowed to the speed I was walking. With the window rolled down, he stuck a plastic squirt gun out and fired at me.

Squirt guns really? Are we five? I've been shot at by worse things than water.

"Man, that was absolutely terrifying!" But the SUV was around the corner by the time I finished speaking.

I finished the short walk to Puck's truck when I smelled something foul. I looked around a bit. Cars were leaving. Teens getting picked up. People were enjoying the Spirit Day Festivus. I couldn't find any obvious dead animals or moldy lunch lying about. The wind shifted and some freshmen started to point and laugh. The smell was me. Or at least my jeans. I still had large wet splotches around my crotch and on my legs.

Fantastic

I rolled my eyes and started to dig in my bag. I had tucked an extra skirt in my bag in case Santana believed in persistence.

"What are you doing?" The wind shifted again, "Ugh! What's that smell?"

"Get in the truck. I need to change."

Puck unlocked the truck and got in as I unbuckled my belt. He picked at the skirt making sure to get an eyeful of my paisley briefs.

"I can't believe you have a skirt I haven't seen before."

"I can't believe you aren't making this dirtier"

"I've been stunned by your sudden willingness to change in front of me. Give me a few minutes, I'll come up with something" he turned the truck over.

I wiggled the khaki skirt up my hips.

"What happened to your pants?

"Some Jacket sprayed me with something. I'm not worried"

"What are you going to do?" Puck was wary

"Give me a few minutes, I'll come up with something" I matched his smile.

* * *

Sheets N Things is a box store. And mostly dead on a Friday during evening rush hour. A woman dressed in Sheets N Things colors comes up to us with a bright smile on her face.

"Welcome to Sheets N Things. We are having a sale on bed linens and hand towels."

"Um, Mr. Schuester sent us?" Finn stammered

"Oh" the woman's smile faded to tight displeasure. "Great. Howard!" she yelled over her shoulder. A hefty ethnic man slunk out from behind a display. "The newbies are here. I'm going to take them in back. Make sure the egg timers are dusted." She walked away without looking back. In the back of the store behind a door marked Employees Only was the store room. Mrs. Schuester led us through a short maze of shelves to a utilitarian desk. The desk had an old PC and a file basket with some papers.

She sat down behind the desk, clasped her hands primly and smiled sweetly at us. I didn't trust her. She was hot and cold. Sweet and sly. Female Schuester knew how to play people. Manipulate them to get what she wanted.

"Welcome to the Sheets N Things team. My name is Terri Schuester. Assistant Manager of Sheets N Things Store 1055 Lima. Normally there would be a rigorous screening process but I need people to help my numbers. I need to make manager. I'm living in an efficiency with rusty water. Will also guaranteed me you would work for practically nothing" she waved her hands around. One big happy family. She reached into the file basket and handed us packets of paper. "Please fill out these forms and then we'll go over the orientation packet."

We all just stood there looking at her. "Um, we can't just you know start?" Puck asked looking at the papers in his hands.

"No" FemSchuester's smile faded, "fill out the forms." She promptly started to ignore us clicking on the computer's mouse. I wandered a little bit away pulling a random pen out of my skirt pocket. There were no other chairs so I tried to sit down without spreading my legs.

"Social Security number?"

"Who knows their Social Security number?" Puck groused.

"Everyone?" I already had most of my form filled. Finn and Puck were still standing looking at the W-4 form.

40 minutes and 3 arguments later, we were all standing in front of Mrs. Schuester again.

"Fantastic" Finn and Puck's forms were half filled with ink scribbles everywhere. She opened a drawer and dropped the papers in. "Now, for the orientation packets"

Finn's was already destroyed. Puck's wasn't doing too much better. After rifling through it quickly, I saw general rules, dress code, and emergency numbers.

"This is the store room. Please make sure to keep all valuables in your car. Emily is a kleptomaniac..."

FemSchuester went on for a bit leading us around the store room then the store. At the end she handed us our name tags and smocks.

"Any questions?"

Our blank looks spoke for themselves. I had stopped paying attention after leaving the store room. We were her trained monkeys. We had no responsibilities. Mrs. Schuester would tell us what to do and when to do it.

"No? Great! I have a few last things to remember for tomorrow." She pointed at Puck,"You don't talk or smile."

Finn, "You try not to knock anything down."

Me," And you try not to steal anything, okay, sweetie?" Mrs. Schuester left the three of us standing in the store room.

"Okay, what's with the racist?"

Finn's phone beeped at him, "Dude, we gotta go. Coach is looking for us."

"Wait, there's actually a game today? Sylvester wasn't just being a bitch"

"Yeah," Puck said, "Home against South. You coming?"

"I think I'm going to see if I can pick up a couple of hours now"

"Kiss up"

"Hey, makes my life easier"

"Okay, well" Puck dawdled "See you later"

"Go Team." There was a feeling. Like an open wound. Neither of us wanted to press on it too much to see where it hurt but on the other hand, I was always a little masochistic.

I thought maybe he would hug me. I hoped he would kiss me. I haven't touched another human being like that in a long time. Finn walked up and slapped me goodbye on the shoulder. Puck followed avoiding my gaze.

* * *

Mrs. Schuester promptly started whining in my ear about men and her sister. There was something in there about Mr. Schuester but not even the draw of gossip could get me to pay attention.

I was trying not to care. I was trying to be bored. I was trying to be normal. Anything but disappointed.

I shook myself. I don't know why I even cared. He was just a guy. He made me laugh and feel comfortable. He was Puck. I don't know why I cared.

FemSchuester let out a particular bitter stream of divorce and I decided to focus my energies elsewhere.

It came to me randomly. I'd been thinking about the tire slashing thing at work. Beads and beans from jars and boxes all over the floor and me yelling 'I quit!' triumphantly hovered in my mind as I swept the floor. My phone buzzed in my pocket. Someone was texting me.

_I really like that new skirt. _I could feel the leer from where I was hiding to use my phone.

_Stop being a stalker. I need your help. I was thinking about something that was said at the 'let's punk VA lunch. _I hesitated before keying in, _But I can't do it myself. I need a getaway car._

* * *

When I got home I went straight to my room to change. My pants were still giving off an odor. I guess it wasn't water. I tried not to think too hard on what it could be. I found Andrew ripping linen into strips. "Can you wash my jeans, like tonight? I only have two pairs. Please?"

"Yeah, sure. What happened?"

"Athletic Spirit Day to support the guys' basketball team. The natives got restless."

"Hate it when that happens. It never ends well."

About an hour and a half later I was finishing my homework, when I heard a yelp from across the house. "What's going on?"

Andrew was shushing Spike a frantic look on his face.

"Hey guys, what's up?" It was time for dinner. I was hungry.

"Nothing"

Spike slapped Andrew on the shoulder, "You have to tell her"

"Tell me what?" My gaze narrowed on Andrew. Andrew never had to tell me things, especially bad things. Spike and Illyria trade off the honor of telling me life altering news. Andrew tells me when dinner is ready.

"Umm" he wrung his hands nervously. Andrew wouldn't meet my eyes. A light started to glimmer as my mind worked through a process.

"My pants got ruined" I guessed

"It wasn't my fault."

"No, it wasn't YOUR fault"

"You promise not to try to kill me or harm me in any way?"

"I promise" I sighed

He held out the jeans for me to see. They now had random streaks of bleach on them. Completely ruined. I growled.

"What are you going to do?"

"Pick a fight"

"He's not going to like that." Andrew still looked worried.

"Maybe he should talk to the goons who go to my school."

Spike came in the back door. "It's your responsibility to be above such-vandalism."

"'Above such vandalism'? Really?"

Spike paused, considering, "Fine, just don't get caught this time."

"Sweet. Thanks Spike, Andrew." I raced to my room firm up my revenge plans.

* * *

"I just don't think a vampire and a former Old One are conducive to raising a teenager" Robin sighed. He was a master at this game. He could get any family member to volunteer for anything with just a few well-placed words. The talent had helped Robin out quite a few times since he started working for the Watcher's Council. "I know you lost a friend and she is a connection to that but you have to think about what is best for her. She deserves to be in a place where she doesn't have to hide"

"Hide what?"

"Who she is"

"Bobi's not a slayer"

"No, but she is a part of this world. She has skills no normal teenager should have."

"Bobi grew up on the streets. She has skills that helped her survive."

"She isn't on the streets anymore and those skills are useful. It's time to pay it back"

"Pay what back, Robin? Helping save LA? Watching her family be torn apart by monsters?"

"That's not what I meant. We saved her. We gave her a life she would never have had even after the Fall of LA.

"So you're going to rip her from the life we gave her and thrust her back into her old one? Is that it? Fuck that, Robin!" Spike smashed the end button hard enough to crack the cellphone casing.

Andrew watched him pace the kitchen. "Council thinks we're unfit to care for her" It wasn't a question. Andrew knew this would be coming. He had overheard a conversation between Giles and Robin before he left for Lima. Robin had seen Bobi's file.

"They shall have to send a team of slayers to conquer us" Illyria appeared in the doorway of the basement.

"Yeah well, you may get your wish" Spike rubbed the back of his head.

"Can they really do that? I mean Illyria is her guardian"

"Winfred Burkle is her guardian. Illyria is an Old One. In the Council's eyes, Fred is dead" Spike forced air through his dead lungs to sigh explosively. "We all know what's it like to play second fiddle. I'm not having some whiny, hero complex slayer breaking her. We'll work it out somehow. She's family."

"Where would they take her?" Andrew asked quietly. He couldn't bear to say it any louder. He didn't have to with the super-hearing.

"Cleveland, maybe New York"

"The slayer schools? Talk about falling through the cracks. She'd never survive." The three of them contemplated that for a second. Andrew straightened his shoulders, "We should spend as much time with her as we can now. Protect her from that. For Gunn."

* * *

I was doing some research on my refurbished laptop when Andrew popped his head in. I was looking for something simple for Karofsky. I was still debating property damage versus emotional. I didn't want to physically hurt the guy. Where's the fun in that?

KNOCK- KNOCK- KNOCK

"Yeah?" Andrew opened the door.

"So I know you're plotting or whatever, but I think you should take a break. Call some friends. Hang out. Do 'normal' stuff. It'd make Spike happy?"

"This coming from the king of normal?"

"Okay, I'll admit it. This life isn't what society defines as normal but what normal 16 year old plots the destruction of their foes? This isn't what Gunn wanted for you.

"You're right. Gunn didn't want me plotting but he would want me to be strong."

"There are other ways"

"Says the warlock"

"Mocks the second chance"

Don't get me wrong I like Spike. He took me in. He didn't try to change me. He's not really pressuring me to get over the destruction of LA. So, while I like Spike and appreciate the comfortable home he has provided for me, I wasn't about to let this opportunity to fuck with Spike go to waste.

Deep down I know I'm disappointing him but he was getting in deep with the Council again. The Council took over LA. The Council kicked me out. They took over my life and then left me to rot with angsty singing teens.

He insists that I become normal, something I'm not. Then throws it in my face that he's still doing the Slayer's bidding. _YOU _get more appropriate friends.

"No one's gonna come" I said quietly. But I wasn't scared. I wasn't.

"You have friends"

"It's Spirit Day remember? The basketball team doesn't suck so there's probably gonna be a party somewhere. Spike's not going to let me go and no one is going to leave"

"I don't know. You might be surprised"

"Yeah okay." If nothing else, I could sneak out the window. I grabbed my phone and mass texted Mike, Matt and Puck. _I have been commanded to have friends over. Spike just got a new entertainment center including a brand new PS3. What was that, Andrew? Free food you say?_

I stared at the text surprised. I hadn't thought about it. They were the first people that came to mind. They were my friends. It had been different in LA. Being part of the crew meant survival. We became family; closer because bonds were forged. Heat of battle. Band of brothers. This was the same and different. Survival in Lima meant not thinking too hard about what had happened. _There were bonds but not what I felt for the crew,_ I told myself.

Sometime later, I hear a creak in the hallway. Andrew suddenly burst in and a knife appeared next to his head in the door jam. He didn't flinch. "God! Don't you ever knock?" I wasn't doing anything bad. I had a history text open and a notebook.

"Bobi!" he squeaked "There are boys here!"

"What?" My phone buzzed next to my notebook.

_Where you at?_

"What?" My phone in my hand I slid past Andrew and crept down the stairs. Puck was standing in the foyer with Mike and Matt. Spike was trying to glare them into submission. Matt had his phone in his hand.

"Hi"

"Friends, duckie?"

"Of course they're friends" FakeFred came into the foyer from the kitchen carrying a tray of drinks. "If they weren't then they wouldn't have just walked in" she finished with a creepy smile for the guys. FakeFred tilted her head. It looked like a gesture to continue into the living room. Those that knew her recognized the tilt. Illyria wasn't happy with the intrusion but trying to pretend she was human. She had been hanging out with Spike too much.

I followed the guys into the living room. "What are you doing here?"

"You texted" Puck stated the obvious.

"Well, yeah." Spike was taking control of setting up the system. Andrew nervously hovered. "I didn't think you would, like just show up"

I wasn't paying attention to the guys. Spike was fiddling with technology. It was never good when Spike fiddled with technology more advanced than a radio. I felt, rather than saw, Puck slide up and up a hand around my lower back.

"Party was lame" he squeezed my middle. I saw FakeFred tilt her head in the corner of my eye. She didn't approve.

"Way lame" Mike had come up and threw an arm around my shoulders. "Besides, Tina has been going on and on about that guy Andrew's cooking"

Matt winced as Spike managed to make the speakers squeal, "Yeah, I'm thinking black and white cookies"

"I don't know about black and white cookies" I looked over at Andrew to see him disappearing into the kitchen. "But Andrew is a really good baker." Another squeal ripped through the living room, "Okay, That's it" I tried to yank Spike away from the TV. He was trying to plug something in. "Leave it alone, Spike, before you hurt yourself or us."

"We got it, babe" Puck was staring at my ass and Spike saw. Yeah, this was a fantastic idea.

I pulled at Spike's t-shirt to keep him from lunging at Puck who was now conferring with Matt on how to set up the PS3 to the sound system. "It's fine. Normal, even" I tried to placate him.

"They're not girls"

"No?" We both watched the three obviously male humans standing in our living room discussing sound quality. Andrew finally whacked Spike on the arm.

"Oh, okay" he gave in.

"Did you need something else? I promise they won't hurt anything" Translation: Go away.

Spike nodded in their general direction, "Mind the rules"

That threw me for a second, "ok-ay" What rules? Don't get dead?

Spike herded FakeFred out of the living room. FakeFred dropped her disguise for a second to glare at me. Honestly, she wasn't my biggest problem at the moment. I wasn't completely sure how to act now that I had friends over.

* * *

"You ready?" Puck nudged me.

"I'll watch" It couldn't be that hard.

"Come on" Matt held out the microphone to me.

I held up my hands, "No, it's okay"

"Do you know how to play?"

"No?"

"You sounded excited in the text" Mike said

"A positive attitude brings positive results?" I got snorts in reply. "Well you're guys in Glee, Glee guys as it were, and we don't have an Xbox to play Halo."

"You have it right here" Mike held up a copy for Spike's system.

"I don't know" I tried to cover up how much of an idiot I felt, "These things are just things people talk about, right? I mean, I've never seen one outside a store." Matt had the PS3 home screen up on the TV. Mike was opening up the controllers. I looked over at Puck, who was giving me a questioning look, "I grew up a little differently. Spike likes Crash Bandicoot and when he heard about the singing this popped up." I gestured to the Rock Band instruments.

Mike looked up, "Where were you growing up?"

"Saving the world" I said quietly. I spot Spike still leaning in the doorway of the living room.

* * *

Spike asked thoughtfully, "So these the guys that got you in trouble, ducks?"

The fights, I had to remind myself. He doesn't know about slashing Vocal Adrenaline's tires.

"Let's play Rock Band!" I turned back to the guys. I kinda hoped he wouldn't have it together. The longer he didn't question my after school activities, the more time I had to convince to give me my car back. Then it wouldn't matter because I would be gone.

"Cupcake" Spike sighed. I turned back and he looked defeated. I've never seen him defeated. I've seen pissed off, angry, patronizing, lecturing but never defeated.

"It was just a couple of fights. It wasn't anything big" I instantly felt bad for lying to Spike. It couldn't be helped though. I already hadn't told him for almost 24 hours. I was making restitution. I was dealing with it. I didn't need his help.

"Uh-huh." He gave Puck a stink eye. "So what sort of songs does this thing have?"

"You want to play?"

"They got a Billy Idol song, KISS or STP" Matt offered.

What? Oh, no.

I started backing toward the hall. Not good.

Puck started clicking through the songs. "You wanna try one?"

I was staying so far out of this. I went to the kitchen and hissed at Andrew to do something. He rushed me with snacks in hand back to the living room. "Just go with it!"

"I think you should do the Idol one. You sorta look like him." Mike said moving Spike toward the microphone.

"Okay. Who plays what?" Matt asked snagging a cookie off the tray

"I don't think this is going to go well." I whispered to Puck as I set the plates on the coffee table.

"Come on babe. He's a dude. He'll love it."

Uh-huh, a vampire dude, born before television was even a twinkle in the inventor's eye. I wasn't convinced, "Yeah, okay."

"Rotate?" suggested Mike

"Mike doesn't sing" Matt and Puck said together

"Why?" I asked as Puck bent over to pick up one of the guitars. I looked, sue me. His ass looked really good in those jeans.

"It's okay. I'm not really good"

"Good enough to help win Sectionals" Matt slugged him in the shoulder before handing over the microphone to Spike. "All you gotta do is sing along with the words into this microphone."

"Like karaoke, Spike" I told him, "Lorne's made you do that." Puck winked at me. Yeah, I was going to hear about that later.

"I got it, duckie." Wow, he was short with me. What a change. "What are you guys going to do?"

Puck answered while he got the song ready. "We're going to play the instruments along with you while you sing. We work together as a band."

"'Kay don't screw up, burk." Then the song started.

* * *

I sat on the couch holding my breath moving my head from Spike to Puck and back again. Watching them play, I believed the lie. I was normal. I had friends. People who cared about me enough to be angry when I got in trouble.

The screen started to flash red. "Come on, dude. Stop sucking." Puck jerked his guitar up but I couldn't stop seeing the red ballooning out on the sidewalk; seeping from claw wounds and deep gashed. The frantic whispers of "Run, Run!"

I jerked out of my seat as the song ended trying not to race to the bathroom. I was going to be sick.

Watching the two worlds collide, I had that sense of family again. The sense that I belonged here with them. But I knew that was a lie I was telling myself. I didn't belong here. I belonged in LA. Cleaning up, creating order, balance, making sure the monsters didn't overtake us again.

A quick rap at the door pulled me out of my reverie.

"When did you get a job?" Andrew hissed.

Shit

Spike and FakeFred had Puck cornered. Matt and Mike were trying not to make any sudden moves but inching towards the door.

"Spike! What are you doing?"

"Why do you need a job?"

"It doesn't matter"

"What did you do, ducks?"

"It's not her fault" Puck tried to cut in. FakeFred pinned him back with her glare. I was normal. There would be no way to pull Spike or FakeFred off or away from Puck. The gleam of disgust in Spike's eye gave me hope that he remembered he was in a room of normals.

"We should get going" Matt pulled a set of keys out of his pocket. "It's getting late."

I put my hand out to Puck. FakeFred wouldn't move. I had to get him out from behind her. He managed to get around her without looking away from me and took my hand. Matt and Mike stood by the door as I walked Puck over.

Puck squeezed my hand, "You okay?"

I nodded. I couldn't speak. This is why I don't have friends. The violence, the danger, the suddenness of death. I couldn't have people over in my own house without them being in danger.

Puck squeezed my hand again and looked over my head. Spike, FakeFred and Andrew were standing in the doorway. I looked over at Mike and Matt shuffling awkwardly.

"See ya later"

Matt rolled his eyes and held out his fist. Not his first awkward family encounter. We bumped. "Later"

Mike held out his fist too. "It was nice to meet all of you. Thanks for the snacks," Mike said following Matt to the car.

Puck lingered for a moment staring at our hands. I couldn't evoke the right emotion for the moment. I was tired. I should be thrilled. Puck was still holding my hand. He was brave enough to face up to Spike and FakeFred. I should be thinking that maybe he could survive in my world. Maybe we could be together. But all I was thinking about was that I couldn't stay in his.

The door closed quietly. The game screen was still showing the scores for the band. The guitars and the drum kit were still setup, almost in the way. Spike was trying not to pace. He was trying not to be angry. But he was. Spike was disappointed in me. I could feel it roll off him in waves.

"Why didn't you come to me? We could have fixed it."

"While you may enjoy working for super librarians and their magic stuffed poodles, I certainly don't. I'm not about to get into bed with Buffy the Party Blonde"

"Hey!" Spike took a step towards me, "She has done more for you -"

"Oh, please!"

"This isn't the time!" Andrew stepped between us, "It's late and we're all tired. We can discuss this in the morning"

"I thought you were just hanging out" Spike growled. He wasn't having any success at containing his anger.

I tried to defend myself, "I was"

"You need a job to pay back some kind of damage," he waved a hand "that's not hanging out, cupcake"

"They deserved it!"

Lyri spoke up, "You defeated your enemies honorably?"

I'll admit that threw me. There is no way to lie to the God-King. There is also no way to spin what we did as honorable. Slashing someone's tires in the dead of night while they practiced was immature and petty.

"Like they deserved an honorable defeat" I scoffed. I couldn't look Illyria in the eye. This had occurred to me when we were planning. But I ignored that voice.

"You have shamed me. You have shown your value"

A dagger at my throat. I couldn't breathe. But she was the one who understood. Illyria, the Old One, had been left behind, forgotten and powerless. Told to be anybody else.

I shamed her. I took a shaky breath. I tried to feel nothing.

"Yeah, well, thems the breaks"

I put on a good front. I didn't meet her eyes but the space between her eyebrows was close enough.

Spike sighed, "It's late, duckie. Get some sleep"

I didn't rush. I didn't slam. I was what they wanted me to be. Like everyone else. Someone who doesn't fight demons. Someone who belonged.


	15. Bloody Pasta

DISCLAIMER: Angel/Buffy type people belong to Joss Whedon, Bobi belongs to us. There is no owning of anything. Except for Bobi.

AN: HI! So, we've been gone awhile due to, you know, life. This story has been a massive undertaking which neither of us was entirely prepared. I want to thank those that have stuck with us this far. We are going to finish the story! So, read, review and encourage us to move faster. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Bloody Pasta**

"You okay?"

A truck pulled up beside me. Puck was leaning over a worried expression etched on his face.

"Yeah" I huffed, an automatic response.

I had just run 3 miles and planning another 2 before school. I was panting. I was sweating profusely and not focused on the English language.

I was nowhere near fine. Fine was a distant fairy land where ponies crapped rainbows and sang lullabies. I had spent a lot of time running that weekend.

Lyri left suddenly on a trip to Cleveland dragging Spike with her. Our argument left unfinished. Andrew was sympathetic after I explained my side of the story. He had spent 3 hours on the phone afterward. I'm emotionally damaged not stupid. Andrew was reporting to Spike and the Council.

I did manage to overhear part of Andrew's defense of me. From the expression on his face, I was going to be sent to Cleveland. I was going to stand trial for my transgressions.

"Friday was intense" Puck slowed his truck to match my plodding.

"Yeah." I didn't want to talk about it. I didn't want to think about it.

"Spike's kinda intense"

"Yeah" I nodded this time.

He searched my face and body for bruises or fresh wounds. "You in trouble?"

I shrugged and shook my head.

I had and hadn't gotten into trouble. I wasn't quite sure what would qualify as trouble to him. I wasn't housebound but I didn't have the means to escape. Even if I did I knew I would be hunted. The Watcher's Council wouldn't let me out of sight. I knew too much. Enough to be deadly.

The truck sped up and stopped. Puck got out. The serious expression on his face made me stop. I was still breathing heavily. I was starting to feel the pain in my legs.

"Seriously, Bobi." He didn't touch me. But he wanted too. He wanted to run his hands over my shoulders and up into my hair. He wanted to feel my ribs and my back. Running 3 miles hid my blushing from Puck. But I knew. I knew it too in that moment. I wanted him to touch me. I wanted him to make me feel safe and taken care of.

I took a step back. "Yeah"

* * *

I left him standing on the side of the road. Puck didn't follow.

His truck was parked in front of the house when I finally jogged back. I didn't read anything into it. I didn't want to. Walking into the house without Illyria accosting me about some random event was unnerving. I felt worse. I felt like I needed Puck there to hold me together.

Puck got out of his truck and leaned on the passenger side. He watched me as I walked up the drive and to the front door hands in pockets. Puck kept his expression blank as I passed.

"Twenty minutes"

Puck nodded. I headed into the house to get ready for the day.

* * *

The car ride to school was quiet. Puck didn't like it. Puck was annoyed with it. Puck wanted that to stop. This is not how it was supposed to be. They won their game on Friday. That weekend should have been a party. Booze, XBOX, and Bobi. That was supposed to be his weekend. Not two days of sulking around Mike's house while he waited for Bobi to text him back.

Puck had scored at the 7-11 Saturday night. Either he had perfected his 'I'm pathetic, please buy me beer' look or Puck really did look that pathetic because of a girl. He spent a couple of hours sitting in his truck drinking outside of Bobi's house berating himself. He was going to get out of the truck. He was going to make sure she was okay. Puck was not going to let that happen again.

Puck had woken up in his truck with a mild hangover and Andrew tapping at his window.

"She's fine" Andrew handed him coffee through the window Puck managed to crank open. "Spike wouldn't hurt her."

Puck nodded and accepted the breakfast sandwich.

"You shouldn't be out alone at night" Andrew warned him and left.

Puck inhaled the sandwich and watched as Bobi jogged up the driveway. She did look fine. Puck checked his phone and found several angry messages from his mom about missing temple. One last look and Puck was driving away. He would try texting her again.

Puck had gotten a terse text back. He had gone to pick her up, but Bobi wasn't there. It was the empty shell Bobi.

He was tired of this shit. Everyone was catching the stink of Vocal Adrenaline's funkification. Empty Shell Bobi was sitting in his truck beaten down for something that was supposed to bring the club together. Slashing Vocal Adrenaline's tires was supposed to be their comeback, but New Directions seemed to be in a bigger funk than before.

Puck spotted Berry plodding into the school. Yeah, He knew where to start.

* * *

My phone buzzed in my bag as I was putting it away for first period.

_Stay Safe. Lyri wants to know if you're working tonight_

Andrew had texted. Spike and Illyria were back. That had been a quick trip. I looked around for a brightly colored tracksuit before texting him back.

_The Council?_

I didn't want to ask the question that needed to be asked out loud, even in a text. I didn't want to ask full out if I was going to be punished by the Council.

_What they don't know can't hurt us. ;) _

A small amount of weight was lifted from my shoulders. If I picked up enough hours after school, the Council wouldn't be able to do anything. I could pay back my share of the tires quickly enough. I was drawn out of my head by Puck slamming his locker and growling.

"What's your problem?" I tucked my phone back in my bag and closed my locker more delicately.

Puck huffed staring over my shoulder. I spotted Kurt, Mercedes, and Rachel standing aimlessly in the hall. No one was bothering them. The student population seemed to be giving them a wide berth.

"This shit has gotta end" He pushed away from our lockers and headed towards the choir room.

* * *

Schue was in fine form. The assignment for the week was Funk. Vocal Adrenaline's weakness was Funk.

"Rachel" Schue called out, "Use Funk in a sentence"

"This cheese smells funky"

"That's cause it's from unda cheese" Puck gestured

"Shut up, Puckerman!"

"Well, that explains feta." Rachel huffed at my addition.

"Okay, okay" Schue tried to placate," I was thinking more along the lines: Vocal Adrenaline has sure put us all in a funk"

"I've been so depressed," Kurt offered, "I wore the same outfit twice this week"

"New Directions is about to make their Funk the P-funk" Schue got excited, "We are going to get funked up. They only way to do that is to beat them at Regionals. Vocal Adrenaline has never once done a funk number. They're a machine, a collective, synthesized soulless beat. Funk is soul meets anger. Its passion is in its emotion. And Vocal Adrenaline doesn't perform with any." He gestured to the board, "So you have your assignment. I want guys to turn McKinley High into Funky Town"

Mercedes laughed, "You guys can relax, I got this one covered"

"Cool"

"Hold on a second." Quinn interrupted, "I want a chance to get funky too"

"Good one, Quinn. It even sounds funny when you say it"

"You said that funk was about soul and anger. I have plenty of both. Look at me. Look at my life. I'm furious!"

"Let's be honest, when white people try to be funky," Mercedes mocked, "you end up with KC and the Sunshine Band"

"I love 'Boogie Shoes'"

"Mercedes' racism aside, I will have something prepared tomorrow" Quinn determined

"Alright, Quinn goes first" Schue agreed.

"Go get'em girl" I called after Quinn as we were dismissed from Glee.

"Rachel can I see you in my office?" Schue asked.

"I want him to be eaten by a lion" It was a little hard not to overhear. Puck started growling. It wasn't unusual living in a house with Spike and Illyria, so it took a moment as Puck and I walked to out lockers.

"What is with you?" I asked. Puck threw himself at the lockers beside mine. Tension covered his body. He was ready for a fight. I hid in my locker for a second.

"What?"

"You couldn't leave the Raspberry alone?" I slammed my locker shut. "I mean she's obvious having a hard time with Jesse being a traitor and evil" Because I would have followed him to beat that pretty boy's ass into a million bite-sized pieces.

"Yeah but have you seen her this last week" Puck became petulant turning to open his locker. It was my turn to lean against the lockers.

"I try not to pay too much attention to her. It keeps me off her radar." I watched student life go by, Boys, girls, a few teachers walking by.

"She's been moping around this place like she has cancer of the puppy" Puck grunted as he slammed his own locker shut. "I'm just so pissed. I mean come on! She's Rachel fucking Berry. She's the most annoying person I know and I haven't noticed her at all"

Wait a second, I checked again. Nope, no damage before I turned to him, "You're mad because you haven't been annoyed by the Raspberry? Really?"

"Hey, don't get me wrong the girl is the Queen Freak in Freakdonia, the ruler of all that is Freakdom. But she's my freak and I can't have people messing with my stuff."

A flash of red and Puck high-fived a jacket. Okay, sure.

"You know I think you may have feelings for this girl. You should go for it?" What am I saying?! Where did that come from?

"Whoa! Slow down. I may not like it when Berry is all quiet and moping but there are no feelings." Puck turned on a little charm smiling sexy at me. "You're the only one I have feelings for"

"Really? Mushy girl feelings?" I batted my eyes.

"Shut up" but he was smiling. We turned back but I spotted Rachel up ahead.

"I'll catch up with you later"

"Bobi -"

"Yeah" I waved him off and I walked up to Rachel, "Eaten by a lion?"

"He is just so-" Rachel made a squeaking sound. I moved to hide her a little bit. The noise had gotten some not so good looks.

"Yeah" I felt bad for her. Okay, I didn't really. You lie down with dogs. "I could do that"

The words were out of my mouth before I knew it. What is it with me today!?

"What?" We walked away from her locker

"Well, it wouldn't be a lion but a lion-like creature"

That's me the defender of the weak and annoying.

"Thank you? However I think we can come up with a better solution. Maybe a Glee number? Oh!"

"No Raspberry!" I tried to shout over her.

"Maybe we could do one together!"

* * *

Puck was standing down the hallway watching Bobi try to comfort Rachel.

Hudson came stumbling over and Puck gritted his teeth. Finn had thrown an arm around Bobi in whatever lame attempt to make Berry jealous. He did not want Finn in the picture. Puck knew Finn was dancing around Rachel and Quinn. It bugged him that Hudson might try something with Bobi. She was standing stiffly under Finn's arm but she wasn't slipping out from under it. Shit was not kosher. Something needed to be done.

Finn said something with a stupid look on his face. Both girls laughed brightly.

Today, Puck decided

* * *

"You ready for the thing?" I caught Puck walking out of his last period class.

"What thing?" He had forgotten apparently my revenge plan. To tell the truth, it wasn't high on my to-do list but once I got this done it would be over. I would be able to focus on other aspects of my life. This was the simplest part of my life; I was more than ready to be done with this shit.

"Taking the Jacket Fucker down a peg or eight" An evil smile spread on my face.

"Whatcha got?"

Ten minutes later I was sitting in Puck's Truck with my ammo waiting for hockey practice to end.

People started to trickle out. I rolled down the window. Target acquired. Fire! All five were on target.

"Water balloons, really?" Puck screeched out of the parking lot. Jacket fucker was hollering after us.

"Filled with Jell-O. It stains. He ruined my pants, it's only fair." Not the most eloquent plan, but it was over. I wanted to enjoy the adrenaline high for a bit.

"That was your genius plan?" he was incredulous. "Payback is supposed to be twice as bad."

"Yeah, he got my pants. I got his pants _and_ his shirt. I only had them three days. Kurt and I went shopping. Turned out to be a waste of fucking money."

"I don't get it. All this for a pair of pants?"

"You're a guy. It's like if Karofsky scratched your truck-"

"If Karofsky so much as breathed on my truck he'd be dead." I smiled over at him the wind blowing in my hair. It was a nice afternoon for a drive.

"You get your car back yet?" Puck pointed his truck towards the house.

"No, not yet. Spike just got back. He and Lyri had a thing in Cleveland."

"You want a ride to work?" He kept his eyes focused on the road. I could tell he wanted to gauge my reaction.

"I'm okay walking. Don't want you to go out of your way" I replied. Andrew might have stopped me from worrying this morning but Spike was waiting at home. I might not have dealt with Friday night the past weekend but the fallout was still there lurking in the shadows.

Puck smiled broadly, "You're riding with me now. You're not out of my way."

"No, I'm just 15 minutes in the opposite direction." Andrew said not to worry about the Council but what about Spike?

"Not out of my way" he insisted.

"Yeah, okay" I could see Spike's junker parked in the driveway. Crap. Why does this have to be my life? Why do I have to deal with all this fucking shit?

"Soo, what are you doing tomorrow night. 'Round dinner time?"

I looked confused. "Homework? Nothing really. Why?" Maybe I could convince Spike that everything was fine. That I would have the tires paid off in no time. Maybe the Council had made their decision and I was going back to LA.

Puck parked in my driveway smiling like I don't know what. "Because I want to take you to dinner tomorrow at Breadstix. Maybe on a date?"

I didn't laugh. I didn't panic. I got out of the truck. "Let me think about it?"

Puck smiled brightly. "Go get your shit"

* * *

I breathed a little easier as I stacked boxes of candles. Spike and Lyri hadn't asked any questions when I shouted I was leaving for work. I had rushed in and rushed out. Puck turned up the radio humming along.

His cheerfulness diminished as the minutes crawled by at Sheets n'Things. FemSchuester wouldn't stop talking. Or yelling. Or directing us to do any dirty job within the entire store. Even Finn was having a hard time keeping his spirits up as Mrs. Schuester showed the boys how to fold a pillow cover over the cardboard insert.

I don't care what anyone says. There is no shame in hiding from Mr. Ryerson. I hadn't even met the man and I knew I wanted nothing to do with whatever he needed. I slinked over to the back straightening things as I went trying to look busy. I was so over this.

* * *

Puck turned up the music. It was elevator music but all he could hear was:

_"In the time of chimpanzees, I was a monkey_

_Butane in my veins and I'm out to cut the junkie_

_With the plastic eyeballs, spray paint the vegetables_

_Dog food stalls with the beefcake pantyhose_

_Kill the headlights and put it in neutral_

_Stock car flamin' with a loser in the cruise control_

_Baby's in Reno with the Vitamin D_

_Got a couple of couches, sleep on the love seat_

_Someone came in sayin' I'm insane to complain_

_About a shotgun wedding and a stain on my shirt_

_Don't believe everything that you breathe_

_You get a parking violation and a maggot on your sleeve_

_So shave your face with some mace in the dark_

_Savin' all your food stamps and burnin' down the trailer park_

_Yo, cut it_

_Soy un perdedor_

_I'm a loser, baby, so why don't you kill me?_

_(Double barrel buckshot)_

_Soy un perdedor_

_I'm a loser baby, so why don't you kill me?"_

"I thought Jews were supposed to be smart" Mrs. Schuester sneered turning down the music.

Puck snapped out of the music daze. There was Bobi. She was smiling at a customer pointing to a display. Puck smiled, he may be a loser but there was someone he wanted to share his loser-dom.

* * *

"Bobi, will you straighten up the towels. Emily gets a break in a half hour; I'm going to show you how to use the register then." God, she is so bossy.

I get to bedding and saw Finn staring at a fitted sheet confused. "Hey, Finn how's it goin'?"

"I don't remember how to fold this." He held it out to me.

I took the sheet from him and folded it properly. Then I take off two more aisles over to the towels and start the task of organizing the towels by color and size.

"You going to sing this week?" I had no idea he was following me. I almost had a heart attack.

Once my heart rate gets back to normal I shrugged. "Mr. Schuester wants me too. But I don't know. Are you?"

"I know nothing about funk."

"Come on, Cool and the Gang? Sly and the Family Stone? You could do _Celebrate_."

I have to laugh at the look he gave me, "Totally lame."

"It's for the cause right?" I said this because of Rachel and Finn, because he wants in Rachel's pants. And they are the only ones who actually listen to Schue's never ending speeches about overcoming obstacles and I don't know - teamwork.

"That doesn't mean the number has to completely suck."

"So find an unsucky one." I'm pretty sure unsucky's not a word. This place is eating my brain cells.

"Right."

FemSchuester popped up from her cave and looked at the shelves approvingly before bossing, "Oh there you are. Emily's on break; meet me up front."

"Okay." She is so weird. She looks at Finn like she's going to eat him.

* * *

I know I shouldn't actually start this whole running the register thing without FemSchue but she's been gone for ten minutes who knows where. It can't be helped; I don't want to be mauled by the angry shoppers.

"Good evening. Did you find everything okay?" I started scanning the items. The screen looked ready. It was practically self-checkout. How hard could this be? I got a look from the girl next to me but she minded her own business. I could get into trouble by myself.

"Yes." She's talkative.

I take the security tags off. These are the ugliest shade of green, ever. "That'll be $31.87."

I clicked a button for payment. The woman had a card. The shopper slides her card. A note popped up. "Debit or credit?"

"Debit." She puts the card away and punches in her pin. Another note. Another button clicked and a receipt printed. I tore it off and handed it to her.

"Have a good night."

"Thanks. You too." Take that world. I can use the cash register without training.

My celebration lasted about ten seconds, FemSchue came out of hiding, "You! What are you doing?"

"You told me to come here for training, someone needed to check out. I tried to page you and I didn't want to keep her waiting so I took care of it." How can you argue with that? Taking initiative, being self-sufficient, that any employer's wet dream. Things are practically idiot proof.

Then she shifts her focus. Puck dazed off again "Oh! What are you looking at? Someone made a mess in candles and oils. Clean it up."

* * *

Maybe because I wasn't expecting it. Maybe because I haven't been having nightmares.

He was here. Gunn. I swear I saw him. He was pale and dead. Just like the last time.

It was the end of the shift. FemSchuester was shrieking about something and I saw him. Standing near the front of the store. FemSchuester flicked the lights off. In the half a second it took my eyes to adjust he had disappeared.

Just like the last time.

* * *

"Bobi! Dinner!" Andrew shouted from the kitchen.

I set aside my history book and shouted, "'Kay!" Who knew the Industrial Revolution could make a person so hungry?

"Oh, hi?" I've taken a stance. I'm just going to ignore him. It's my life and I can do what I want. But I noticed something off as I reach for the pasta, "Why are you here?" I asked Spike.

He stares at me as I smother my pasta in homemade marinara. Yum. "Dinner is family time, cupcake."

I'm still crazy bitter over the conversation I overheard between Old One Eye and Spike back in LA. "Since when? Buffy the Wonder Blonde yanking your chain again?"

I tried to eat but suddenly I'm not at all hungry. I could tell Spike's getting angry. "Leave Buffy out of this. I want to be involved."

Don't know if that's true or not. It's all so fucked up. I know it's not really his fault but he's the only one I can fight, so I use the only weapon I'm still allowed to use.

"Translation: Buffy and Captain One Eye are worried about a Hell-God, a Vampire, and a sub-par warlock being the guardians of me, a mere mortal and are therefore setting the bar impossibly high. When are you going to break free from the chains and tell Buffy and her club of do-gooders to go to hell?"

Spike actually looked like he was going to hit me for a second. On the way out of the room he hit the table and my pasta splashed all over me.

Andrew looked at me with sad eyes, as he walked to the sink. "Why do you think that every interaction he pursues with you is via the Great Blonde Puppet Master?"

I don't answer I'm too concerned with the blood. Everywhere.

Dripping from my hands.

That's all that's left of them. The blood on my hands.

If I stop looking or clean it off they will be gone.

Blood is everything without it there is no life.

Blood.

"Bobi! Here's a napkin." Andrew looked really scared for a second. He knew what happened.

I walked out of the kitchen. I should have helped clean up; but I didn't want to talk and didn't need guilt trip about what I said to Spike.

When did everything get so fucked? I want to go home.

I scream into my pillow. Because I don't belong anywhere.


End file.
